My son tells me this is boring. I told him I would try and make it a bit more interesting, but then again I live in a small town surrounded by corn fields. To make it worse, at this time of year, after the corn is picked, the farmers begin emptying their hog manure pits. The smell which emanates from the liquid shit can permeate your clothes, fill your nostrils, and drive you mad. Last week when I walked out the school door I was assaulted by the stench. For those who have never experienced the smell, it can be overwhelming. A few years ago we played a soccer game in the evening after a local farmer spread his crap on neighboring fields. We won over a good West Point Marquette team that night. When I talked to their coach the following week he complained about not being able to concentrate because the smell was so bad. He said they smelled like manure when they got off the bus after a hour plus ride home. I can believe it because I smelled horrible when I got home. So, not only do I live in a small field in the middle of corn fields, but this time of year, they are smelly corn fields.
Last night I attended what was called a "caucus preparation" meeting in Washington organized by the John Edwards campaign. We met at the Pizza Ranch and went through the agenda established by the higher ups somewhere. We even got a pep talk from some guy over the phone. The material we were given is helpful and the young women staffer in charge of the area did fine, but my question as I sat there was, why do you send a young person who has never attended a caucus, to lead a caucus preparation meeting. I suppose it is because either she volunteered, or because she agreed to work for a minimal amount until the caucus is over, hoping Edwards does well, and that she will be hired to work in a State with a later primary.
The other troubling thing was that the Washington Demons football team was eating in a room next to ours. They were being typical boisterous high school kids, in other words they were loud. That wouldn't have been a problem except that four of the eight people in our meeting were frail, little old ladies who had a hard time hearing anyway, let alone with lots of background noise. The young women running the meeting knew enough to cut the meeting short and send us on our way. I did come home with a list of all the undecided Democrats in our precinct and the idea is to talk with them over the next two months. There are about 75 names on the list. I know at least one person who tells every candidate who calls that he is committed to someone else since it cuts down significantly on the number of phone calls he gets. I guess this is all part of "democracy in action" and I have to admit I do find it to be interesting to participate in the process even if it seems messy and inefficient.
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Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
who is barak obama?
The candidates haven't been making the rounds nearby so I haven't seen any one recently. Guliani was in Iowa City last Wednesday evening but I had been asked to speak about my trip to the West Bank to a group called People for Justice in Palestine at the Iowa City Library. The Daily Iowan said there were around 40 people there but I thought it was closer to 60. Ben and Jerry of ice cream fame were also in Iowa City that evening and they were giving away ice cream. It is hard to compete with free ice cream. I thought my presentation went well. One guy thanked me afterwards and then added, "I didn't learn anything new, but I liked the way you told your story." He then said he had been to the West Bank 4 times. The program was taped and will appear occasionally on the public access channel in Iowa City.
Guiliani was also in town the week before but it would have cost $50 bucks a plate and I prefer to not pay to see any of these guys.
Now to the title of this post, "who is Barak Obama?" One of the other things I have been doing this fall is to interview some Amish folks in Iowa for some people in Goshen and Pennsylvania. It has been interesting to sit for an hour or two and ask them questions. Generally the interviews start out slow, then when I put away my notebook they start talking. The last guy I talked to liked to ask me questions as well. I'm not exactly sure how it came up but he asked me about interracial marriage and how the children of interracial marriages are treated. So I asked him if he him if he knew about Barak Obama. His response was, who? So I repeated the name, "Barak Obama." "Who is Barak Obama?" I told him Obama was one of the guys running for President and had been in Iowa quite a bit over the last month. He thought that was nice but didn't know who he was and he didn't particularly care. I can imagine him saying, "thats a concern for the world, not me."
It was sort of refreshing to talk with a man who didn't know who any of the candidates were after they have spent thousands of dollars in the state of Iowa trying to get their message to the people. It is one of the advantages of not having a television, a phone, or email all ways we are being bombarded by various candidates. This isn't to say this man was unconcerned or apathetic. He is a very bright guy, but for him, the main goal in life is to be faithful to God, scriptures and his church, and politics isn't going to help him with faithfulness.
mm
Guiliani was also in town the week before but it would have cost $50 bucks a plate and I prefer to not pay to see any of these guys.
Now to the title of this post, "who is Barak Obama?" One of the other things I have been doing this fall is to interview some Amish folks in Iowa for some people in Goshen and Pennsylvania. It has been interesting to sit for an hour or two and ask them questions. Generally the interviews start out slow, then when I put away my notebook they start talking. The last guy I talked to liked to ask me questions as well. I'm not exactly sure how it came up but he asked me about interracial marriage and how the children of interracial marriages are treated. So I asked him if he him if he knew about Barak Obama. His response was, who? So I repeated the name, "Barak Obama." "Who is Barak Obama?" I told him Obama was one of the guys running for President and had been in Iowa quite a bit over the last month. He thought that was nice but didn't know who he was and he didn't particularly care. I can imagine him saying, "thats a concern for the world, not me."
It was sort of refreshing to talk with a man who didn't know who any of the candidates were after they have spent thousands of dollars in the state of Iowa trying to get their message to the people. It is one of the advantages of not having a television, a phone, or email all ways we are being bombarded by various candidates. This isn't to say this man was unconcerned or apathetic. He is a very bright guy, but for him, the main goal in life is to be faithful to God, scriptures and his church, and politics isn't going to help him with faithfulness.
mm
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Chris Dodd
After church I drove to Washington to see Chris Dodd at Cafe Dodici's. Compared to the stockyards where I saw Obama, and Washington High School where Edwards and Richardson appeared, this was by far the classiest place I have seen a candidate. Dodd arrived about 15 minutes after the scheduled time and talked to around 50 people. Unlike the other visits, this one had food so the wait was enjoyable. They had these tasty spinach filled pastries which were exceptionally good.
After noting his Iowa connections by making references to Harken, Bedel, Culver, and other Iowa politicians, Dodd talked about his electability and the importance of the Iowa caucus in choosing a candidate who can win in November. As part of this he highlighted his experience and his ability to work across party lines to get legislation passed.
The first issue Dodd talked about was Iraq. He said he would remove U.S. troops from Iraq but that removing troops does not mean that we would not be involved in the area. "We have turned Iraq into a petrie dish for jihadists and terrorists." He also noted his service in the Peace Corps and his service in the National Guard.
Next Dodd talked about restoring the Constitution. He told the story of his father who worked as a prosecutor at the Nuremberg trials after WWII and how important it was to treat our enemies by the rule of law. He contrasted the response most people give to Nuremberg to the images most of us have when we hear about Abu Grahb or Guantanamo.
After 30 minutes of talking Dodd took questions from the audience. People asked about No Child Left Behind, Israel's bombing of Syria, rural Iowa, the electability of a Northeast liberal, fair trade, why Congress hasn't done more to halt the war in Iraq and the growing economic disparity in the U.S. Dodd's answers tended to be long and passionate, though he didn't always answer the question. He had an annoying habit of saying "I hear" after many statements especially when he was excited, "I hear."
Though I was sitting towards the front he didn't seem to want to call on me when I raised my hand. After saying it was time to finish I thought I would see if I could ask a question about Palestine. After getting his picture taken and signing some autographs he said, "I never got to your question." I told him I had spent two weeks in the West Bank and was wondering where I could find what his position is regarding Israel and Palestine. Dodd said first the President must be engaged in the area. "Condi can't just stop in every six months or so and expect to get anything done," so I would be more engaged in the area. He said when he visited with Olmert that Olmert told him Bush is the best President the U.S. has ever had. The reason according to Dodd is that Bush has never pushed Israel on any issue and has backed nearly every policy or plan pushed by Israel. Dodd added, I favor a two state solution and the Palestinian state needs to be a viable one. We can't always just accept what Israel does and need to be willing to push them to improve living conditions for Palestinians. Dodd also mentioned his support for the Peace Corps and that he has worked to maintain their presence in Jordan and would like to see the Peace Corps in Egypt and other Arab nations. Then he moved on to talk with some of the others. I grabbed a couple more of the spinach pastries, bought some chocolates for my wife and headed for home.
Dodd did a nice job and seemed knowledgeable about the issues. He tended to be a bit long winded but he showed some passion when addressing the issues. The problem is that he is a Senator and has been in Congress for 26 years at a time when many people seem to want change and a fresh face. In the words of my son who saw him in Wellman, "he's just another old white guy who wants to be President." Unfortunately for Dodd, I'm afraid that is how many people will see him.
After noting his Iowa connections by making references to Harken, Bedel, Culver, and other Iowa politicians, Dodd talked about his electability and the importance of the Iowa caucus in choosing a candidate who can win in November. As part of this he highlighted his experience and his ability to work across party lines to get legislation passed.
The first issue Dodd talked about was Iraq. He said he would remove U.S. troops from Iraq but that removing troops does not mean that we would not be involved in the area. "We have turned Iraq into a petrie dish for jihadists and terrorists." He also noted his service in the Peace Corps and his service in the National Guard.
Next Dodd talked about restoring the Constitution. He told the story of his father who worked as a prosecutor at the Nuremberg trials after WWII and how important it was to treat our enemies by the rule of law. He contrasted the response most people give to Nuremberg to the images most of us have when we hear about Abu Grahb or Guantanamo.
After 30 minutes of talking Dodd took questions from the audience. People asked about No Child Left Behind, Israel's bombing of Syria, rural Iowa, the electability of a Northeast liberal, fair trade, why Congress hasn't done more to halt the war in Iraq and the growing economic disparity in the U.S. Dodd's answers tended to be long and passionate, though he didn't always answer the question. He had an annoying habit of saying "I hear" after many statements especially when he was excited, "I hear."
Though I was sitting towards the front he didn't seem to want to call on me when I raised my hand. After saying it was time to finish I thought I would see if I could ask a question about Palestine. After getting his picture taken and signing some autographs he said, "I never got to your question." I told him I had spent two weeks in the West Bank and was wondering where I could find what his position is regarding Israel and Palestine. Dodd said first the President must be engaged in the area. "Condi can't just stop in every six months or so and expect to get anything done," so I would be more engaged in the area. He said when he visited with Olmert that Olmert told him Bush is the best President the U.S. has ever had. The reason according to Dodd is that Bush has never pushed Israel on any issue and has backed nearly every policy or plan pushed by Israel. Dodd added, I favor a two state solution and the Palestinian state needs to be a viable one. We can't always just accept what Israel does and need to be willing to push them to improve living conditions for Palestinians. Dodd also mentioned his support for the Peace Corps and that he has worked to maintain their presence in Jordan and would like to see the Peace Corps in Egypt and other Arab nations. Then he moved on to talk with some of the others. I grabbed a couple more of the spinach pastries, bought some chocolates for my wife and headed for home.
Dodd did a nice job and seemed knowledgeable about the issues. He tended to be a bit long winded but he showed some passion when addressing the issues. The problem is that he is a Senator and has been in Congress for 26 years at a time when many people seem to want change and a fresh face. In the words of my son who saw him in Wellman, "he's just another old white guy who wants to be President." Unfortunately for Dodd, I'm afraid that is how many people will see him.
Saturday, October 06, 2007
John Edwards
Tonight I made another trip to Washington, this time to see John Edwards speak in the old gymnasium at the high school. Beth and I had gone to the Pork supper at IMS and when it appeared she wouldn't get done in time for me to leave, I left her there - though I did make arrangements for her to get home. Fortunately she is understanding of my eccentricities. Then I faced the question of why, when you are in a hurry does every car you get behind go 40 - 45 mph down the highway with few if any places to pass.
I made it to the school and found a parking place right in front even though I was late. I found the old gymnasium, one of those cracker box gyms with a balcony or railing up above. The seats were full so I headed to a place where I could stand, when a young women came and offered to usher me to a seat. My seat was on the platform behind the speaker and in front of a large U.S. flag. Four years ago I caucused for Edwards so I have seen him several times and continue to view him favorably.
Elizabeth Edwards was introduced and received a standing ovation from the crowd of 100 to 200 people. She focused on electability and compared some polls showing how her husband compares to Obama, Clinton, Gulianni, Thompson, and Romney. She introduced John who came in to a Springsteen song. I couldn't tell which one because the sound system was not so good and it was compounded by the echoing of the gym.
Edwards talked about Universal health care, economic inequality, global warming, the war in Iraq and finished by mentioning the recent Senate vote on Iran. He did this all in 10 minutes or so and then asked for questions. After answering questions about renewable energy, Iraq and Iran, gun control ("tell your son, John Edwards won't take away his gun"), trade policy, and the Warren Commission, Elizabeth suggested he take some questions from the people sitting behind him. I raised my hand and after no one else in the section apparently did, he called on me.
I asked the same question I asked Richardson, saying I had been in the West Bank this summer and asked for his ideas on how he planned to approach the region. He said he favors a two State solution. He said we need to follow the road map which was established a few years ago. I don't know if he was referring to Camp David, Oslo, or something else. He said he had been "in the territories" a couple of years ago where he had a chance to meet with people from the Palestinian Authority. He said, "there are Palestinians who want peace and we need to work with them." He said we shouldn't work with Hamas as long as they do not recognize the right of Israel to exist and as long as they promote terror. "The President and the Secretary of State need to be involved in providing leadership in this region, something this President hasn't done."
Then he moved on. I would have liked to ask if he favored a return to the '67 borders, the road map he mentioned, or East Jerusalem. But I have learned it is difficult to get a follow up question in this type of setting. The candidates like to get as many questions asked as possible, even if some of them are goofy, or maybe they actually prefer the goofy ones, like the one about the Warren Commission.
Edwards didn't answer my question as completely as what Richardson did, but then most of Edwards answers were shorter than Richardson's. He did seem to know something about the situation, he answered the question in a way that didn't really offend anyone which I imagine was his goal.
After my question a women asked about Iraq and where he saw the situation 10 years from now, a women whose husband is in the National Guard and has been in Iraq asked about what pulling the troops from Iraq says to those who have served or to those who died. Elizabeth helped with this one telling a story about her father who served in Vietnam.
It was all over in less than an hour. When he shook my hand he said, "so you were in the West Bank?" I said yes but before I could ask him a question one of his staffers pulled him away. Where do I rank these guys so far? Right now I would go with Edwards, followed by Richardson, Obama, Dodd, Biden, and then maybe Clinton. Tomorrow if all works out I will see Chris Dodd, then I do my program at Washington Mennonite. Sometime I need to track down a couple of Republicans.
mm
I made it to the school and found a parking place right in front even though I was late. I found the old gymnasium, one of those cracker box gyms with a balcony or railing up above. The seats were full so I headed to a place where I could stand, when a young women came and offered to usher me to a seat. My seat was on the platform behind the speaker and in front of a large U.S. flag. Four years ago I caucused for Edwards so I have seen him several times and continue to view him favorably.
Elizabeth Edwards was introduced and received a standing ovation from the crowd of 100 to 200 people. She focused on electability and compared some polls showing how her husband compares to Obama, Clinton, Gulianni, Thompson, and Romney. She introduced John who came in to a Springsteen song. I couldn't tell which one because the sound system was not so good and it was compounded by the echoing of the gym.
Edwards talked about Universal health care, economic inequality, global warming, the war in Iraq and finished by mentioning the recent Senate vote on Iran. He did this all in 10 minutes or so and then asked for questions. After answering questions about renewable energy, Iraq and Iran, gun control ("tell your son, John Edwards won't take away his gun"), trade policy, and the Warren Commission, Elizabeth suggested he take some questions from the people sitting behind him. I raised my hand and after no one else in the section apparently did, he called on me.
I asked the same question I asked Richardson, saying I had been in the West Bank this summer and asked for his ideas on how he planned to approach the region. He said he favors a two State solution. He said we need to follow the road map which was established a few years ago. I don't know if he was referring to Camp David, Oslo, or something else. He said he had been "in the territories" a couple of years ago where he had a chance to meet with people from the Palestinian Authority. He said, "there are Palestinians who want peace and we need to work with them." He said we shouldn't work with Hamas as long as they do not recognize the right of Israel to exist and as long as they promote terror. "The President and the Secretary of State need to be involved in providing leadership in this region, something this President hasn't done."
Then he moved on. I would have liked to ask if he favored a return to the '67 borders, the road map he mentioned, or East Jerusalem. But I have learned it is difficult to get a follow up question in this type of setting. The candidates like to get as many questions asked as possible, even if some of them are goofy, or maybe they actually prefer the goofy ones, like the one about the Warren Commission.
Edwards didn't answer my question as completely as what Richardson did, but then most of Edwards answers were shorter than Richardson's. He did seem to know something about the situation, he answered the question in a way that didn't really offend anyone which I imagine was his goal.
After my question a women asked about Iraq and where he saw the situation 10 years from now, a women whose husband is in the National Guard and has been in Iraq asked about what pulling the troops from Iraq says to those who have served or to those who died. Elizabeth helped with this one telling a story about her father who served in Vietnam.
It was all over in less than an hour. When he shook my hand he said, "so you were in the West Bank?" I said yes but before I could ask him a question one of his staffers pulled him away. Where do I rank these guys so far? Right now I would go with Edwards, followed by Richardson, Obama, Dodd, Biden, and then maybe Clinton. Tomorrow if all works out I will see Chris Dodd, then I do my program at Washington Mennonite. Sometime I need to track down a couple of Republicans.
mm
Bill Richardson
This is an interesting week with several Democratic candidates coming to the area. Most are here for the Johnson County Barbecue but since I'm too cheap to spend $15 for a ticket I have been seeing them when they come to the nearby town of Washington.
Wednesday I took my Current Events class plus a few other students to see Barak Obama. Over 450 people checked in so I didn't get to ask any questions.
Today I drove to Washington to see Bill Richardson. I was running late and as I was coming in I saw Richardson introduce himself to three IMS girls who were at Washington high school for a volleyball tournament. In the auditorium Richards gave what I assume is his standard stump speech. He talked about education, health care, good jobs, and getting out of the war with Iraq all the while struggling with his microphone which kept cutting out on him. He finally gave up on the microphone and spoke loudly to the hundred or so people who were there. Through all of this he touted his experience as a governor and noted that seven of the last eight presidents were governors.
During the question time I said I had the opportunity to travel in the West Bank for two weeks in August and asked how he would work to resolve the conflict between Israel and Palestinians. This is what he had to say.
First he said he would appoint a Mid-East envoy. He noted that President Bush is the first President in many years who has not appointed an envoy to deal with this conflict He noted that he would "push both sides to work at arranging a peace."
Second, he "would talk to Syria, he would talk with Lebanon, he would talk with Israel." He noted he thinks it is important to talk with our friends, but "it is also important to talk to our enemies." I think it was here he mentioned negotiating with Saddam Hussein and having talked with Syria.
Third, "I am pro-Israel, I've always been a big supporter of Israel. I'm for a two State solution with a return to 1967 borders with some negotiations about East Jerusalem." "Look where their policies have gotten them (Israel). They have Hezbollah on one side, they have Hamas on the other, and then there is Iran which is pursuing nuclear weapons which is something I do not want to happen."
From there Richardson talked more about Iran . He said, we can't just threaten Iran, we need to talk with our enemies, we have to be firm but it is important to talk, not just to threaten to use our military.
He then moved on to other questions from the audience. It seemed to me that Richardson has a decent understanding of the Israeli/Palestinian question and the importance of the U.S taking leadership in helping to bring the two groups together. As he answered my question it seemed the question of the Palestinians got lost as he talked more about Iran and the middle east in general. It is probably something Palestinians are long accustomed to - being overlooked or ignored.
Overall I came away impressed with Richardson. He has experience as a governor, as a member of Clinton's cabinet, and as an ambassador. He handled questions well showing a broad range of knowledge and a good sense of humor. He was able to poke fun at himself and it looked like he was enjoying himself.
After the program was over I met a reporter from the Philadelphia Inquirer and we talked for awhile. It was interesting to talk to some one from the city where we lived for ten years.
mm
Wednesday I took my Current Events class plus a few other students to see Barak Obama. Over 450 people checked in so I didn't get to ask any questions.
Today I drove to Washington to see Bill Richardson. I was running late and as I was coming in I saw Richardson introduce himself to three IMS girls who were at Washington high school for a volleyball tournament. In the auditorium Richards gave what I assume is his standard stump speech. He talked about education, health care, good jobs, and getting out of the war with Iraq all the while struggling with his microphone which kept cutting out on him. He finally gave up on the microphone and spoke loudly to the hundred or so people who were there. Through all of this he touted his experience as a governor and noted that seven of the last eight presidents were governors.
During the question time I said I had the opportunity to travel in the West Bank for two weeks in August and asked how he would work to resolve the conflict between Israel and Palestinians. This is what he had to say.
First he said he would appoint a Mid-East envoy. He noted that President Bush is the first President in many years who has not appointed an envoy to deal with this conflict He noted that he would "push both sides to work at arranging a peace."
Second, he "would talk to Syria, he would talk with Lebanon, he would talk with Israel." He noted he thinks it is important to talk with our friends, but "it is also important to talk to our enemies." I think it was here he mentioned negotiating with Saddam Hussein and having talked with Syria.
Third, "I am pro-Israel, I've always been a big supporter of Israel. I'm for a two State solution with a return to 1967 borders with some negotiations about East Jerusalem." "Look where their policies have gotten them (Israel). They have Hezbollah on one side, they have Hamas on the other, and then there is Iran which is pursuing nuclear weapons which is something I do not want to happen."
From there Richardson talked more about Iran . He said, we can't just threaten Iran, we need to talk with our enemies, we have to be firm but it is important to talk, not just to threaten to use our military.
He then moved on to other questions from the audience. It seemed to me that Richardson has a decent understanding of the Israeli/Palestinian question and the importance of the U.S taking leadership in helping to bring the two groups together. As he answered my question it seemed the question of the Palestinians got lost as he talked more about Iran and the middle east in general. It is probably something Palestinians are long accustomed to - being overlooked or ignored.
Overall I came away impressed with Richardson. He has experience as a governor, as a member of Clinton's cabinet, and as an ambassador. He handled questions well showing a broad range of knowledge and a good sense of humor. He was able to poke fun at himself and it looked like he was enjoying himself.
After the program was over I met a reporter from the Philadelphia Inquirer and we talked for awhile. It was interesting to talk to some one from the city where we lived for ten years.
mm
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