As a private citizen, President Machen has every right to express his opinion about political candidates and should be able to endorse whomever he wishes. But Machen should not be able to utilize his title as UF president to support a presidential candidate.
How can we expect UF to be an institution garnering free thought void of partisanship if our president publicly takes such a strong political stance?
Last March, when 500 students stood on the steps of Tigert Hall bearing a list of demands that asked for UF to publicly denounce the war in Iraq, they were told that the university could not take a public stance on political issues.
Even though Machen has repeatedly mentioned that his decision does not speak for the entire university community, headlines across the nation are giving the image that UF has endorsed McCain.
On the eve of the Florida primaries and McCain's scheduled visit to Gainesville, an endorsement by Florida's largest and most prestigious university will have substantial impact on the senator's electoral success throughout the state. Perhaps President Machen should consider directing his outrageous salary toward solving UF's budget crisis instead of publicly advocating for a candidate.
