Bill Snyder apologizes for political endorsement

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Hays Post

MANHATTAN- Kansas State football coach Bill Snyder apologized Saturday night for bill snyder endorsing Senator Pat Roberts for re-election in a television advertisement.

The commercial includes video of Snyder being asked who he will support in the U.S. Senate race, and he responds that it will be his good friend Pat Roberts. In the video Snyder also said, “Pat’s a dear friend and a great friend of the State of Kansas. I care about him a great deal. I think his track record speaks for itself. He is as good as it gets for the State of Kansas. He is an extremely hard worker. He’s an honest individual. I’m certainly going to vote for my friend Pat. He genuinely cares for the people of the State of Kansas.”

See the commercial here

During his postgame press conference after the 48-14 Kansas State win over Oklahoma State, Snyder was asked about the television commercial. “I made a mistake. I’m not going to delve into exactly how everything happened, but I made a mistake and I’ve embarrassed our university. That’s my responsibility. That was my error.” Snyder also added, “That’s my fault. Nobody else’s.”

FULL story at link.



Read more: http://www.hayspost.com/2014/11/02/bill-snyder-apologizes-for-political-endorsement/

[graegoyle]

1. It's good that he took full responsibility for his actions.

Now, who talked him into doing the commercial in the first place..?

[daleo]

2. I don't get this - why the apology?

Perhaps because I an Canadian, and we don't care much about university athletics; even alumni pay it little mind.

[24601]

3. He's probably a state employee and civil service rules usually prohibit partisan activities. If his

commercial is allowed, he probably had a responsibility to make it clear he was speaking as an individual and no endorsement by the university is implied.

A good lawyer could probably edit the script to get his message out while complying with the rules,

"Hi, I'm Bill Snyder and my attorney tells me that I cannot endorse anyone in a partisan election. So I won't. However, I do have the right to speak about nonpartisan issues like legislation. So if you think I should be allowed to endorse my good friend Pat Roberts, call the state house and your legislators them that you think that law should be repealed."

[joshcryer]

5. Sounds like Bill got caught in an off the cuff statement.

But the dirty Republicans spliced his comment in to the political ad. He owned up to it in his apology and said it was his mistake, but I think they fooled him.

Endorsements must be made clearly and separated from the University. ie, "I'm Bill Snyder, and speaking for myself, I endorse Pat Roberts." The way it went down was really nasty all around.

And you shouldn't endorse as an employee of the state in a high position anyway, I mean, I can see just being asked and answering honestly is fine by a reporter or whatever, but beyond that, actually agreeing to endorse. I don't think Snyder did that. I think he got fooled.

[daleo]

6. Ok, I guess that makes sense

I suppose with the high profile that football coaches have in the U.S., the university has to be careful about these matters.

[joshcryer]

4. College football is huge here, so employ endorsements are against policy.

They're not illegal, per say, but it's extremely rude. Especially since KSU won the game the night the ad was aired. It was quite controversial because in the video it's obvious that Bill Snyder was being asked off the cuff, then it was spliced in.

Just a confluence of issues that made it controversial. If it was maybe reported at a public restaurant by a local reporter and not aired as a political ad it probably wouldn't have even made the news.

[daleo]

7. Thanks for the info

I doubt that anyone would pay attention to a football coach, when it comes to politics, here in Canada. Mind you, we have Don Cherry, hockey commentator and right wing ranter on Hocey Night in Canada.

[Doctor_J]

8. rich old white man endorses right wing candidate

File under "this is news?"