June 10, 2007
Review of Norm Dicks UW Commencement Speech
http://www.heraldnet.com/stories/07/05/08/100wir_b5briefs001.cfm
I had the honor of attending my youngest brother's graduation ceremony from the University of Washington on Saturday, June 9, 2007. For the record it was 56 degrees and a constant shower of rain (beautiful Washington weather). I've been told that the commencement speaker was supposed to be Bill Gates, but Bill pulled out a month ago to give the commencement address at Harvard and the school filled the spot with Congressman Norm Dicks. The speech was billed as an "environmental message".
Norm began his address with anecdotes of his time on the University of Washington football team and received a loud ovation when he mentioned that they beat the Cougs every year that he played. After these pleasantries were over he proceeded to let loose with the most self-righteous and self-indulgent diatribe I have ever heard.
For the next 25 minutes 35,000 faculty, students, and visitors were forced to hear about all the "wonderful" things that Norm Dicks has done for the Puget Sound. I think he used the word "I" at least 40 times. He named dropped all the important people that he knew (most of them who were unknown to the audience). He also described how saddened he was to watch a cod gasp for breath in our murky waters. He spoke about his good friend Al Gore and the "Inconvenient Truth" which is that our planet is at critical mass because of human pollution. After 10 minutes of his speech the crowd and the student body began to be quite agitated with the speaker. (All other speakers had kept their remarks to less than 5 minutes because of the cold and driving rain.)
The audience up until this point were quite respectful of Mr. Dicks statements, but quickly turned on him when they realized that he was nowhere near being done. Catcalls, sarcastic applause, and stomping came from the assembly. One student marched up to the podium and demanded that Norm wrap up his remarks only to be shooed away by the University marshal. He completed his remarks with 5 things that were imperative to protect or assist: Endangered species, Native Americans, Natural Waterways, Forests, and something else that I didn't hear because of the ruckus of the crowd. Nowhere in his speech did he mention the need to protect this country from our greatest threat, terrorism.
I'm sure in the papers tomorrow you will read about how well his speech was received, but I can tell you that I have never in my life heard a worst received speech. The audience started unengaged and ended enraged.
Posted by kennethwilliamklein at June 10, 2007
12:18 AM | Email This
2. The very defination of a great speech is premised on the beginning line, and the ending statement being very close together.
3. He really should have made it more connected to the events at hand. People didn't come to hear that claptrap.
4. I was one of the many in the chilly rain. Where is global warming when you need it? Lots of hot air coming from that gasbag Norm Dicks mouth. I heard that he got $10K for the speech that would have gotten a "E" in any public speaking class at the U. How can he have been a politician for so long and suck so bad at public speaking. My Mom always used to say, "Better to keep your mouth shut and let people wonder how intelligent you are than to open you mouth and confirm all doubts!" How dare he politicise a graduation. Hasn't he heard about diversity. Who ever is running against him will get a donation from me and I don't even live in his district.
5. Hi Ken ... glad I wasn't there! :-)
6. I've been fuming since he was halfway through his self-promoting spiel on all the wonderful accomplishments he has bestowed on our blessed State of Washington.
First of all, to the committee that decided to hire a politician to speak at an important graduation ceremony...stupid idea! You stand a chance of alienating at least half the audience, and in our national political climate, even half of his own party are probably ready to tar and feather him.
Those who are a-politcal to begin were provided with another irrefutable example of why they have chosen the correct philosphy.
I felt most sympathetic to those 4000 miserably rain-soaked graduates who must have wanted nothing more than to get their diploma and find a dry corner to warm up in. But no, Dicks went on and on and on, every sentence read from a paper, each one beginning with: I did ...I got, I was named, I blah- blah- blah.
If I ever thought I might vote for Dicks. . . NEVER in my life is that going to happen. And they wonder why our young voters are refusing to turn out at the voting booths! If their only exposure to a live body representing the wheels that grind in Washington D.C. is that arrogant, pompous, over-fed, narcissistic, conceited, lazy, supercilious pig (did I miss any adjectives) that is so convinced of his superior contributions to the world and Washington State, I would understand if they never voted.
I feel badly for the graduates that deserved to hear words of encouragement, inspirations and congratualtions after years and years of sacrifice and hard work and what were they treated to? Effluence at its ripest. And this from a man who spouts his environmental accomplishments at the drop of a hat. (Norm, you may need to use a dictionary to look up effluence.)
I am embarrassed to say he represents my state, and even though I had nothing to do with arranging his appearance there on Saturday, I apologize to the families, friends, parents and students that were held hostage to his drivel...and no, I disagree with the Times...it was longer than 15 minutes.
To the committee that planned this event, you owe your students and attendees a huge apology...no speaker at all would have been less of a slap-in-the-face than his "speech."
Norm, take a hint and don't try this again?
7. I told my daughter (who is 2) that if every graduation ceremony at the UW was like that then she was going to Pullman. My wife quickly slapped me and brought me back to my senses! No ceremony can be THAT bad.
8. @ #7: At my UW graduation ceremony Dixie showed up wearing red tennis shoes.... Between shoes and words she embarrassed almost everyone in attendance. After that, I didn't bother going when I got my masters. Although my son is going to the U, don't rule Pullman out.
9. I was unfortunately one of the many students stuck in the rain listening to Norm Dicks' commencement speech turned campaign speech. At only two points in the whole self inflating, patting himself on the back speech that he gave did he have the crowds approval. The two times he mentioned the cougs in the negative. The rest of the time, those of us on the field were booing, stomping on the plastic surface protecting the field turf, and clapping in the desperate hope that he would get so happy for the attention that he would walk off the stage.(didn't work) I have to say that this was quite possibly the stupidest thing I have ever been forced to sit through, hearing about the many people I've never heard of before (for instance, the long dead professor that was his biggest inspiration), hearing about that Lin Cod suffocating in the puget sound, and hearing about, umm, I dunno, i was to busy booing him after this to remember anything else. But for the record, my brother who was in the stands timed it and it came to 18 minutes of garbage that probably wasn't any more desireable than the crap Norm Dicks is trying to clean out of the sound. To put it as my friend in the stands so acutely phrased it in a text message mid spewing, "That's a pretty big dick up there..."
Colin
10. A great example of how many leftists turn commencement speeches into political platforms. Really disgusting primarily because it's about the graduates and not Norm Dicks.
Dicks is just another politician who long ago jettisoned any sense of humility or respect for anyone other than himself.
11. At least the rest of the state has gotten the exposure how big of a dick is Norm Dicks. He's been bullying his district for years now. For example he's the one that came up with putting a 950 foot tunnel for buses under downtown Bremerton. It is going to cost the taxpayers $28 - $30 million so that a couple of half-empty commuter busses don't drive down 600 feet of city street once or twice an hour. Stupid idea from a egotistical, self-serving, should have been retired long ago (doesn't represent me) representative.