Report from Obama Event in Marshalltown: Part 2

Here is part 1 of my report from the event.

Obama then opens up for some questions. I was looking forward to this part since he didn't have a question portion of the event in Ames. I didn't take notes on all of the questions, but here are the ones that I did.

The first question was from a person from Benton County who does not have health insurance. She asks for some specifics on how Obama will bring about universal health care. Obama says that we spend $2 trillion per year on health care, which is far more than other industrialized nation, and are outcomes are no better and a lot of times worse. He would work to cut out some of the inefficiencies in the system. He would change to electronic records which would save money and save lives. He would stress preventative health care such as giving every senior citizen flu shots, which would save money in hospitalizations, and tackling obesity and chronic diseases. These would all save money that would be able to be used to provide coverage to those that don't have it now. He ends by saying he doesn't have all the answers and is still putting together his health care. He is still researching and if he sees something that is good, he doesn't mind stealing it. This got laughter from the crowd.

There is question from a UAW member from the Maytag plant in Newton that is closing. She asks what Obama is going to do to keep manufacturing jobs here. Obama gave three things that he would do. First, he said we can't stop companies from deciding to relocate. However, we don't have to be providing incentives to them for moving overseas. We need to reward companies that do the right thing by providing incentives for companies that create jobs here. This is basically John Kerry's position from 2004. Second, Obama says we must invest in infrastructure. He says 80% of Korea has broadband, there is no reason we don't have broadband access in rural areas here. Finally, we need a Manhattan style project for renewable energy and green technology. This will create new technologies and industries. Then we need to retrain our workers for these industries. He mentions green building techniques, but fails to mention anything about conservation or raising CAFE standards as key steps in an energy policy. Overall, his answer on renewable energy was pretty good. Obama then says we are not as tough as we should be when trade deals are negotiated. He says we need to encourage trade, but make sure it benefits not just Wall Street, but the average American also.

The next question was from a high school teacher, who asks about No Child Left Behind. Obama says that it shouldn't be up to only teachers when it comes to education. We need parents that don't let kids play video games all the time, students that don't take their educations for granted and want to be there, and communities that value education by paying teachers more. Obama says that he is behind the major goals of NCLB of raising standards and providing highly qualified teachers. However, the problem with NCLB is through the implementation, the way assessment is being done, and that it is under funded. His answer shows that he has a clear understanding of No Child Left Behind and how it needs to be changed.

The next question was probably the most intense question of the day. It was about why the Democratic Party has abandoned the workers and support amnesty for illegal immigrants. Obama began by talking about how unions have weakened and how he has worked to prevent the influence of lobbyists and special interests. The person that asked the question then specifically asks about amnesty for illegal immigrants. Obama then layed his immigration stance. He would have stronger border enforcement and stricter employer sanctions for those hire illegal immigrants to prevent more people from crossing the border. Then we have to provide a pathway to citizenship because it is impossible to round up 12 million people. Economically it would cost too much to do so. We should have illegal immigrants that are here pay a fine, learn English, make sure they have a clean record, and then provide a chance to gain citizenship. He says this is a comprehensive approach and is realistic. His answer garnered a lot of applause from the crowd that knows the immigration first hand after the immigration raid that took place in December. Two people that I know are independents and former Bush voters said that his answer to the immigration was fantastic.

The final question was from a college student about rising college tuition. Obama gave two specific things he would do to provide immediate results. First, he explained that there are two types of students loans. One is directly from the government. The other is a promise from the government to banks to provide loans. Currently, banks make $2 billion a year profit off of these loans. He is all for banks for making money, but not on the backs of our kids going to college. Second, he would expand national service plans for those going into jobs like teaching, social work, and others, so that they tuition will be forgiven.

Obama then says he has to make a pitch for your support in the Iowa caucuses. He says he knows that Iowans like to look under the hood, kick the tires, and take the candidates out for a test drive, but he hopes they will support him. He then urges everyone in attendance that if they aren't going to support him, then please support someone in the caucuses because this race is far too important to sit on the sidelines. This was a noble call that was very impressive.

I know that three of the most active Democratic women in town signed pledge cards to support Obama. This will turn out to be a big help to Obama's campaign here and will hurt Hillary because she won't be able to use the gender card. Overall, though, the biggest endorsement in town will still be that of the UAW.

I came away more impressed with Obama than I did after the Ames event because I learned more about his positions on the issues. His positions aren't as well-defined as John Edwards' are, but then Obama hasn't been running for president since 2003. Obama still has time to fine tune his positions and come out with specific policies. Today, I learned there is at least some meat on the bones. The overall feeling from talking to people after the event, the agreement was that he didn't seem to be a smooth politician, but a nice guy with the right priorities.