Well, liberal academics sure don't, or they'd publish books worth buying!

Y’know, I’m about sick of hearing right-wing weenies pitch this particular bitch-fest over and over, as though it was the Universities’ faults.

Yeah, and I'm about sick of fair-weather weenies bitching that it is still winter. (/snark) As if their, and your 'sickiness' makes it not so.

In fact, most college faculties are overwhelmingly Democrats

Y'know, I'm about sick of hearing right-wing weenies pitch this particular bitch-fest over and over, as though it was the Universities' faults. If there was actually this sort of overt discrimination against the teeming hordes of conservatives trying desperately to get tenure, it'd be a little obvious - while private universities can largely have their own hiring standards, public universities have to follow federal law. Not hiring or promoting people because of their political views is patently illegal in such places, and if it were really happening, I'm sure there's no shortage of conservative think-tanks with deep pockets who'd fund the lawsuits. But those lawsuits aren't there. Why? The only possible reason left is that conservatives don't want to be professors. So shut up and quit whining. Or get a job at Bob Jones U.

My personal opinion: nobody goes into academia to get rich. Ergo, conservatives stay away in droves. Make your own joke here.

Yes, the professoriate is, on average, less religious and more likely to vote Democrat than the median American. But there’s plenty of diversity on campus.

There's some diversity on campus. By saying "on average," though, you suggest that the numbers are somewhat close. And they're not close at all. In fact, most college faculties are overwhelmingly Democrats, and actively hostile to conservatives and conservative thought. That was true when I was in college and law school in the late 1970s. It's more true now. I'm not sure if you're ignoring that, minimizing it, or actively defending it, but I wouldn't take any of those approaches myself.

Why the hell are reasonable views like your so rare in the GOP these days?

No better example of what Prager is warning against. Dr. Joyner's view is not reasonable because it is reasonable, it is reasonable because it agrees with the commenter.

I mean when was the last time you read a conservative blog that didn’t consider it a priori that universities were liberal brainwashing factories and all professors degenerate pinkos?

Every day. Jumping from the contention that a good portion of colleges are not concerned with intellectual curiosity to positing that "universities [are] liberal brainwashing factories and all professors degenerate pinkos," speaks more of the commenter's lack of logic skills (more likely a lack of intellectual honesty) than what those with whom he ideologically differs actually say.

The list’s core flaw is that it begins with the common — and yet obviously absurd — premise that decent, hardworking folks send their kids off to college only to have their values assaulted by hippie, dope smoking, Communist professors who hate America.

What Prager is suggesting is a list by which parents can ascertain whether a prospective school is open to intellectual curiosity, or whether it is interested in pumping out like-minded automatons.

I earned my BA-History 22 years ago - I knew that most of my professors were left-leaning - they were, however, open to well supported counter arguments. Recently though, this same college saw a associate professor kick a student for merely wearing a pro-Bush tee-shirt. Given conversations with my cousin, who recently graduated from this same school, the mood has changed since my day. Intellectual curiosity in many classrooms is no longer fostered, particularly if that curiosity leads one away from the preferred opinion of the teacher. This is what Prager is warning about. It used to be that school taught kids how to think, now many are more concerned with what kids think.

I'd also add that as someone with strong ties to academia, you may have a biased view of the topic.

As far as social sciences were concerned a certain number of credit hours in political science, sociology, psychology, anthropology, or economics were required. I satisfied most of my credits with economics courses. I was thrown out of one of the psychology courses I enrolled for on the grounds that I knew more about the subject matter than the professor teaching the course. Really.

While I don't think we read every selection in the textbook my intro to Lit class in college had several selections from the Old Testament (Genesis, Psalms and Song of Soloman) and several selections of Shakespeare. I don't remember any of the Federalist Papers in my lit book.

So I honestly can't imagine getting a liberal arts degree, or even a college degree where a person didn't have to read at least Shakespeare. Shoot I can't imagine finishing high school without reading any Shakespeare.

The Bible and Federalist papers wouldn't shock me.

Actually I am willing to bet most Universities have classes for each of these subjects individually. They are just more likely to be found in the electives list rather than the required list.

2. Does the college allow military recruiters on its campus?

Like, as Atrios points out, Columbia U., where Prager did grad work back in '70-'72. (Note for the irony-impaired: THAT WAS WHAT HE DID DURING THE VIETNAM WAR. You know, instead of signing up. Which is apparently important to him now for some reason...)

3. In the political science, English, sociology, anthropology and history departments -- or any other liberal arts department -- what is the ratio of Democrats to Republicans among the professors?

I really love this bit. The unspoken assumption is, of course, that any professor, regardless of political beliefs, cannot ever be trusted not to indoctrinate their students to their way of thinking. And regardless of the actual subject they're supposed to be teaching. I can only assume that all the conservative profs he knows are unprofessional blowhards, so he assumes they all are. He also appears to believe that people's deep-seated beliefs about morals are so flimsy that even being exposed to people who think differently is enough to forever alter their psyches. Imagine how he must feel about se-

5. Can my child live in a same-sex dorm and are the bathrooms co-ed?

Oh, I'm not even going there.

My point is Prager’s questions are as good a gauge of where to go as personality fit. Just make sure you go to college.

I think James' question about when the last time this guy has ever been on a college campus is appropriate. Anyone who would ask such questions is so ill-informed that it is clear that he is not really interested in an honest answer--but is using the whole frame for some political argument.

There is no serious university in the country where you cannot find a class on Shakespere, the Bible, or American Political Thought.

Hell, even UC Berekeley has more than 10 courses explicitly on the Judeo-Christian tradition.

There is no reason why a student can't be exposed to any of the ideas that Praeger lists.

These courses may not be required--but that is the result of an explosion in knowledge over the past century and a reflection of Universities' responsiveness to consumer demand.

I take issue with the idea that it's even possible to know if a college will fit the personality of a prospective student. It's like trying out that new titanium driver. Swinging it a few times does not reflect how it will work over the long haul as you adapt to it.

Individual experiences that can never be predicted can have a much larger effect on a student's experience in college. One bad professor can turn things south with an adverse encounter. One bad roommate can ruin study habits. Trying to determine compatibility based upon a campus visit or literature makes no sense.

Students will adapt over time and grow into campuses. Students may decide to leave and go somewhere else. Admissions officials will all tell you they are the best fit. My point is Prager's questions are as good a gauge of where to go as personality fit. Just make sure you go to college.