Kaboom! Candidate in Florida with counterfeit diploma

The press issued a retraction after she presented her Miami University diploma . . . and then retracted the retraction after the university made clear that she did not earn the degree in quesiion.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2018/08/11/florida-candidate-tried-to-prove-shes-a-college-graduate-the-school-says-her-diploma-is-fake/

 

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/08/13/florida-house-candidate-accused-lying-about-college-degree-apologizes-for-mistake.html
She said that she is going to win and then lead by example. I think she has what it takes to be a role model.

 

https://www.miamiherald.com/latest-news/article216586110.html

 

Even more funny to me (emphasis mine),

Even the made-up grades aren't real

 

A lie on top of a lie . . . "In her statement, Howard said, "It was not my intent to deceive or mislead anyone." It didn't say what her intent was."

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/ny-news-ny-gop-florida-fake-diploma-20180814-story.html#

 

I think we can confidently call her dumb with being mean to her.

 

that s/b without being mean to her. my 10 minutes expired for editing

 

but....but...but....it's framed and everything.

 

Here's a serious question in a thread seemingly devoted to snark:

Why is it so important whether or not somebody is a college graduate that one would feel the need to lie about it?

I'm increasingly inclined to think that far too much social emphasis is placed on universities and on degrees. Some of the most knowledgeable, well-read and thoughtful people I've ever met weren't university graduates. And some people I think are total idiots in most of life have advanced degrees in some narrow subject.

(Yes, I can understand why the readers of a board called Degreeinfo would be fascinated by degrees. I'm thinking more about the real world.)

I'm actually more concerned about the NRA thing, since it's hard to imagine anyone basing an election decision on an NRA rating. Since so little rides on it, it would seem to be more indicative of underlying psychological tendencies.

And yes, I do think that repeated lying does reveal ethical issues that might be disqualifying in a political candidate. (Or alternatively a necessary job qualification in a politician or a journalist, which is another issue entirely.)

In politics, I'm less motivated by candidates' personalities then by their positions on issues I care about, compared to what their opponent's positions are. Of course if the candidate is lying about that... But I'd probably still favor a candidate that might favor positions I find important, over a candidate that definitely stands for things I find misbegotten or loathsome.

 

Politics in particular is supposed to be a meritocracy, so anything that increases your constituents belief in your ability to assess and understand the issues can help with that. This seems a little different in the US, but in Europe especially it's very common for politicians to have doctorates or post-graduate study.

Without veering too much into politics on the General board, there is a segment of the population, so-called "single issue voters" that will decide their vote based on something like support of the NRA, which acts as a proxy for their beliefs on gun accessibility and control.

 

I think the converse may be true- people who value something don't lie about it, it's when they don't value it that a lie is effortless. Did I run a 5k? Sure. (ehhhh, not really, technically I walked it- but who cares? See? Easy.)

 

I think you're right in there being an overemphasis on degrees and that capability needn't accompany a degree. But the person of topic did claim as bona fide a degree not earned.

 

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/gop-candidate-melissa-howard-drops-233843835.html
Good riddance!

 

Not having a degree is not a problem. Using a fake degree to dispace a person with a hard earned degree is a problem for me. For the average person, an earned degree is about sacrifices.

 

I agree here, a degree illustrates that a person is willing to make the necessary sacrifices to fulfill the requirements of a program.

At a minimum, a degree shows that one can complete a series of assigned tasks.

It drives me nuts when the comment is made “It’s just a piece of paper”.

 

Here’s another congressional candidate who has done some creative things with his resume

http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/His-Ph-D-is-from-a-diploma-mill-But-candidate-stands-by-his-work_169854289

 

Given that he produced a dissertation (although clearly not to academic standards if it only has 27 references) I wonder if he could apply to AMU for a Doctorate of Global Security or Strategic Intelligence. Obviously doesn't have the name-recognition of a PhD but he could earn the right to call himself "Doctor."

 

Why would anyone imagine he’s capable of doing the work?

 

I've been involved peripherally in similar cases in which the "dissertation" is submitted to one or more experts in the field for evaluation. In one recent instance (not reported on this forum) the evaluator said it was not only not doctoral level, but not even Bachelor's level. High school term paper at best. In another case, the dissertation was found to be admirable . . . and was also found to have been taken from the shelf at university library and photocopied, with the original author's name removed and the scoundrel's name inserted. In a third case, the dissertation was rated as below average but tolerable . . . but turned out to have been written after the reporter first asked for it -- by a hired dissertation-writing service (of which there are many).

 

another political candidate with a fake degree claim...

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/09/20/oregon-candidate-amanda-la-bell-bows-out-over-false-claims-about-university-degree-reports.html