Obama's MSU debut
Democratic presidential candidate addresses crowd of about 20,000 on chilly fall afternoon
By Zack Colman (Last updated: 10/02/08 11:36pm)Standing before an estimated 20,000-person crowd that would have overfilled Breslin Center by 3,720 people, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama received a Spartans basketball jersey with his name and the number “08” on the back Thursday afternoon.
He modeled it for the audience that blanketed Adams Field off West Circle Drive to a thunderous applause, just before he delved into issues such as the economy, energy and education.
“Everybody has to vote. You have no excuses,” Obama told the crowd, including some members who had arrived as early as 9 a.m. for the 2:30 p.m. speech.
“But you have to go get cousin Pookie, you know, Ray-Ray, who’s sitting on the couch loafing around. You have to get them registered and get them out to vote as well.”
Obama might as well have been in Breslin Center, as he led a raucous “Go Green, Go White” chant and paid homage to Earvin “Magic” Johnson, who led MSU to the national basketball championship during Obama’s senior year of high school in 1979.
Had the event been housed in Breslin Center, the crowd wouldn’t have had to endure the cold wind or threat of rain.
But it didn’t matter to them. And it especially didn’t matter to social work sophomore Joseph Langston.
“The whole thing is history in the making,” he said.
Issues
Obama centered much of his attention on the financial crisis and how it impacts students. He called on young people to make a change, as the current economy will hit college-age individuals hardest.
“We can’t afford another four years of the kinds of deficits we’ve seen over the past eight,” he said. “Young people, you are going to have to pay for this debt we are piling up. We can’t afford to mortgage our children’s future on another mound of debt.”
Obama’s proposed solution is contingent on two factors: education and strengthening the middle class.
By educating students to participate in a global economy, Obama said Michiganians would be able to keep jobs in the state. He criticized tax-cut proposals by Republican presidential candidate John McCain, saying the state and country’s economies would be revived with tax cuts for the middle class instead of the upper class, allowing them to have more disposable income to put back into the system.
Obama warned the financial crisis will make it more difficult to obtain student loans. He said this means a change from the deregulating, hands-off philosophy that has been guiding the economy for the past eight years is needed.
Situnyiwe Chirunga, a zoology senior, said she was pleased to hear Obama’s plans about providing affordable loans for education. Chirunga said her debt will only continue to mount as she heads to medical school.
“I definitely have had to take out loans this year even though my grandparents took out a Michigan Education Trust fund when I was born,” she said. “It’s run out and tuition keeps on rising on me.”
Obama said Michigan is essential in producing the people who will help create and harness alternative energy technology so America can relieve its foreign energy dependence.
“When John F. Kennedy looked up and said, ‘We are going to the moon in 10 years,’ the engineers didn’t know how to do it,” Obama said.
“They didn’t understand what could get us there, but what they knew was when America puts its mind to something, we cannot be stopped.”
School’s out for Obama
Students couldn’t be stopped from skipping classes Thursday, although many professors canceled or made class optional.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, especially for him to come to our campus,” said Justin Koziatek, a nutritional sciences senior. “It’s a pretty big deal. I might even skip a lab today and not be able to make it up.”
Marshall Moore, a hospitality business senior, said he wasn’t sure whether his class had been canceled.
“I don’t even know, I skipped it. He might have canceled it, but I don’t care,” Moore said. “I figured (the rally) is pretty important. Nobody came here when I was a freshman, so I figured someone’s here who is going to be the next president of the United States, so I might as well come.”
Rudy Bernard, a physiology professor, said he couldn’t cancel his lab Thursday, but students have the option of arranging a make-up time.
Several professors declined to comment about their class plans.
Many instructors, though, used Obama’s visit as an opportunity to accomplish course objectives.
Darcy Greene, an associate professor of journalism, designed her online publishing class around the election. She said Obama’s visit was a way to incorporate course goals.
“The next exercise we have is to cover an event, so this makes sense to do because it’s important,” Greene said. “People are going to go and cover the event and gather media elements to use in class.”
Michigan’s out for McCain
Students likely won’t have a chance to skip class to see McCain speak, as he pulled his resources from Michigan on Thursday.
Citing falling poll numbers, McCain canceled a trip to the state next week, won’t run TV ads in Michigan markets after this week and is dispatching staffers to states that show him in a stronger position, The Associated Press reported.
About 20 members of the MSU College Republicans, though, surprised Obama supporters with their presence at Adams Field. The group held signs that endorsed McCain, and quickly became a magnet for cameras. The group was at the speech to collect change — a stab at Obama’s “Change We Need” campaign slogan.
“I’ve got some change with me in my back pocket right now. If Senator Obama wants to come here and collect it we’ve got it ready for him,” said Louie Glinzak, press secretary for MSU College Republicans.
“I took my laundry money out here because I know he’s going to want some for the tax increases.”
Glinzak said his group was disheartened to learn of McCain’s move, but their mission and strategy won’t change.
“We, the students, are still here,” he said. “We are going to show support for Senator McCain and energize the Michigan State community.”
But David Lanore, a political theory and constitutional democracy junior, said “people are ready for change” and that Obama’s appearance at MSU is important to win the more moderate mid-Michigan voting population.
Obama gave his speech without knowledge of McCain’s Michigan departure. But at some points, it seemed as if he already knew such a development was imminent.
“The truth is my opponent’s philosophy isn’t just wrong-headed. It reveals how out of touch he really is,” Obama said of McCain’s economic policies. “Senator McCain just doesn’t get it. But Michigan, you get it, and I get it. And that’s why we’re here today.”
Originally Published: 10/02/08 11:21pm
Mike
10/03/08 12:07amHooray for the ObaMessiah! Only he can bring about Socialist change to America. We must crush the Capitalist Imperial system. Only then can we truly be equal when we remove ALL wealth from the rich and give it to the working class. Also, Israel must be destroyed….
Eric M Filson
10/03/08 12:22amView full comment »
gim
10/03/08 12:22amgood job, Zack.
Thomas
10/03/08 12:27amMaybe Mike maybe never heard of Social Security and Medicare, both of which are Socialist programs, change brought on because of dumb Hooveresque and Coolidge Republicanism. These programs were needed to help people survive, otherwise there could have been another Revolution.
I dont know… maybe Mike thinks Social Security is bad. That’s your opinion and you have that right.
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Jason Van Dyke
10/03/08 1:42amAt this point I have resigned myself to the fact that this commie scum is going to win the election. I take comfort only in knowing that, had it not been for Jimmy Carter, there might not have been a Ronald Reagan. Hopefully Obama won’t actually go down to the national archives and literally put our Constitution through a paper shredder. One day I may want to look back on the document that outlined the rights we were supposed to have – and did have – before Barack Obama took office.
Jon
10/03/08 1:45amI’m not Mike, but I think Social Security is bad…
Why would I think otherwise considering it’s going to be broke before I’m old enough to collect on it?
Moreover, why would supporting Obama change that fact? How are increasing spending and cutting taxes going to reduce the deficit?
Julius Holmes
10/03/08 2:04amJason you sound like Senator McCarthy and J Edgar Hoover. Calling obama a commie scum is hilarious. You hope that the constitution doesn’t get put through a paper shredder? Well my friend u are already a tad bit too late. Ever heard of the Patriot Act? Ever heard of the wire tapping the government can do now. Which is a violation of your basic fourth amendment rights. I also guess you’ve never heard of holding “enemy combantants” for years without ever telling them what crimes they’ve been charged with, and also failing to produce solid proof that they ever were indeed terrorist.
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Julius Holmes
10/03/08 2:08amAND TO MIKE…NO NEED TO CRUSH THE CAPITALIST IMPERIAL SYSTEM…IF YOU LEFT YOUR HOUSE lately you would see its done a pretty thorough job of crushing the american people. Well maybe not you. I suppose you make more than 5 million dollars a year. So you don’t qualify as middle clas. LOL
Reality Check
10/03/08 6:58amPeople will always line up ten deep when promised a free handout. Have anu of these people actually taken a monute to wonder how Obama is actually going to pay for all he’s promisisng. Maybe they figure that since the government prints the money it’s not an issue.
Palin '12
10/03/08 7:38amAt this point I have resigned myself to the fact that this commie scum is going to win the election.
—-
PALIN ’12!!
In ’12: “Since 2008, the Democrats and their Socialist and Commie pals like Tony Rezko, Richie Daley, Billy Ayers, Bernadine Dohrn, Rev. Wright, and Father Pflager have caused 5,000,000 good-paying U.S. jobs and $1,000,000,000,000 in U.S. banking deposits to flee to Asia.
“This must end!”
See you in four years.
mapman
10/03/08 8:16amThe crux of the issue began when FDR took the US off the gold standard and turned the monetary system over to the Federal Reserve. Since then, our financial system has been manipulated, and not to the benefit of our citizens. This has been compounded by the insistence of the socialist “leaders” in Congress, i.e., Barney Frank and Chris Dodd, as well as Obama’s chief financial advisor, to demand subprime loans to people who did not have the income to pay a nickel toward the principle of the loan.
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Julius Holmes
10/03/08 9:27amReality check: How about you take your social darwanism somewhere else. You have NO idea who was the rally and how dare you call working class people and people who are struggling to get through college and people who are losing everything as people who want a handout! I don’t call people who can’t find jobs in a depressed economy people who want a handout.This is the same social bull that the republicans where saying under hoover.
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OMG
10/03/08 9:33amMapman
Careful you make to much sense…
Barney Franks Quoted as saying July 2008 everything was great now he blames everyone else…Typical politician
Watch his interview on OReilley just beautiful….
Makes me want to vote Obama,,,,,,
Julius Holmes
10/03/08 9:45amAnd to MAPMAN: The back drop of this issue does not have anything to with what FDR did back in the 30’s. This issue has everything to do with how the federal government sided with big business through such SUPREME COURT decisions as the Slaughterhouse Cases. From about the 1870’s till the complete decline of the market in 1929 Big Business was given complete control to run over the american worker.
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Mike F
10/03/08 9:52amI need to say a few things, so bear with me.
Everyone always wants to blame Bush for the woes of the U.S. Lest we forget that it was the illustrious Bill Clinton that loosened the requirements for home loans from Fannie May and Freddie Mac. With them offering loans to people that we previously “under qualified” other banks had to follow suit to keep up with the market. The events of September 11th only accelerated the inevitable.
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Josh
10/03/08 10:04amBy the way, Jason Van Dyke was kicked out of Case Hall when he was in college for keeping guns in his dorm room.
I’m really confused too. Didn’t a certain other current president already do what he says Obama will do? Did we forget the Patriot Act?
wow
10/03/08 10:04amJason,
I hope that you realize the irony of the ‘put the Constitution through a paper shredder’ line.
Which President has done more than any to severely increase executive power (the biggest fear of the framers of the document)?
Which party proposed the PATRIOT Act?
Which party has suspended the writ of habeas corpus twice?
Which President has largely ignored the IV-VI Amendments?
Which President violated the VII Amendment by officially allowing torture?
Which President ignored the X Amendment by temporarily seizing control of the National Guard (states’ rights, anyone)?
So tell me, Jason, how exactly is Obama going to ‘shred the Constitution’? More directly, why should anyone believe that the Constitution is under greater threat from the Democrats than the Republicans?
Got any specific examples?
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Sir, get a grip
10/03/08 10:09amReality check: How about you take your social darwanism (sic) somewhere else. (sic)
—-
Those who think Slick Barry is going to save them — good luck. Ask Tony Rezko, Rev. Wright, et al. Politicians use you, until they get elected. Then, you’re nothing.
We’re our brother’s keeper. It’s not a blank check.
And a college degree does NOT guarantee anyone a job. Just read about Fidel, Mao and Stalin — Obama has the books.
Julius Holmes
10/03/08 10:12amMike you might have said the smartest thing on here. To every presidential term there will be pros and cons. I stand with you and agree that the clinton presidency had cons. You are right people need to make an informed decsion not just take the politicians word at surface level.
Intelligence for the war in iraq: Mike i think you would agree that when saying that a strike on the U.S. is imminent your inteligence better be top notch.
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Julius Holmes
10/03/08 10:18amSir get a Grip: Are you even voting…thats why its called accountability. If obama doesn’t make serious strides in four years then i won’t vote for him come 20012 ITS CALLED ACCOUNTABILITY. Something most republicans( like yourself /thats if you are) don’t want to hold george bush to
OMG
10/03/08 10:18amLet me ask all of you this question…
...When you work for a living and you get paid, how much of your paycheck should the govt. be able to take? Really seriously how much is to much?
I get so mad that my check has unbelievable amounts taken and i have no say where it goes….At what point is it better to just sit at home and be broke! Because liberal policies will take care of me and i wont have to do a damned thing but collect.
Let me tell you a little story about the liberal policies.Someone i know is unemployed sitting at home collecting disability social security….Do you want to know why?
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beau
10/03/08 10:19amThe posters who worry so much about the commie scum and socialist taking over politically must come from the far right of the american nazi party to be so whiney. Yeh, maybe this all goes back to Wilson, actually Teddy R, but guess what? Had something not been done to stop the gross siphoning of wealth in this country there would have been a revolution. FDR came to the rescue again “betraying his class” as the shrill diatribes from the political right screamed at the time.The average American worked 10-12 hours a day for maybe a dollar a day.
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OMG
10/03/08 10:27amThe one thing all of the liberals cant deny. In this country, you can blame and point your fingers at all of the capitalists you want, but YOU can be one also… Just take the chance, JUST LIKE THEY DID, start a company, work hard, and oh yea, PAY UNGODLY TAXES ON YOUR BUSINESS.Thats what makes America the greatest country in the world. NO!!! you want to be handed money for what??? because you have a right to my money? I don’t think so.You want to complain what a business pays? don’t work there. when the business cant find enough workers, he will have to raise his wages.
Julius Holmes
10/03/08 10:28amSir get a Grip: OH yeah you missed the total validity of my argument becaus you had to me synical like most social darwanists like yourself. YOU are right…getting a degree doesnt’ guarnatee you a job..BUT IT DOES OPEN UP THE DOOR to a better life. Just because a degree doesn’t gurantee you a job, i guess you should just give up and not pursue an education and remain stagnate the rest of your life huh?
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No proof, at all
10/03/08 10:32amFDR came to the rescue again “betraying his class” as the shrill diatribes from the political right screamed at the time.
—-
The best PhDs in economics do not agree on FDR’s role — and you think you know more than them? WRONG, WRONG, WRONG.
World War II saved the U.S. economy. Afterwards, Germany and Japan were in shambles, and the U.S. got fat, happy — and lazy. Just try to get a wall painted on campus.
Want to be Obama’s victim? Then you’ll always be his victim. Good luck.
Julius Holmes
10/03/08 10:40amOMG: I think you need to meet more people who benefit from these social programs than those who abuse them. Just because a system may need reform doesnt mean that it needs to go all together. Im going to give you a little personal testimony of mine.
WHen i was a child my mother was making the bare minumum wage of 4.75 at a daycare. She had me and my brother to take care of.
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Grip
10/03/08 10:40am“ .. OH yeah you missed the total validity of my argument becaus (sic) you had to me synical (sic) like most social darwanists (sic) like yourself.”
Calm down. Spell correctly.
“YOU are rightâ¦getting a degree doesntâ (sic) guarnatee (sic) you a job..BUT IT DOES OPEN UP THE DOOR to a better life.”
Does it?
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Julius Holmes
10/03/08 10:44amNo Proof at All: Actually most PHd’s in economics believe it was a combination of FDR’s keynesian model and WW2 which lifted the U.S. out of the Great Depression.You would be foolish to say either or did the job. Be forreal. 4 years of a war can’t totally make up for 12 years of a bad economy unless programs were already in place that helped put americans back to work.
Joe
10/03/08 10:51amDoes anyone want to mention that John McCain pulled out of Michigan yesterday? McCain/Palin care about the middle class, except if they’re from Michigan apparently…
And if Obama is such a “commie/socialist” then so must be a large portion of Americans seeing as he’s leading not only in national polls, but in key battleground states like Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Florida. Even states like Indiana and Georgia are now being classified as “leaning McCain.” This isn’t even going to be close in November…
beau
10/03/08 10:54amNo Proof: I didn’t say the economy turned around, I said he saved the country from possible revolution by putting people back to work and offering hope when industrial America had nothing to contribute. I agree, the war saved everyones butt and I don’t presume to argue with the best economists I’ll let them argue among themselves about which side is right because if 5 say one thing another 6 say the polar opposite.
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Julius Holmes
10/03/08 10:59amGrip: I like how you judge the the success of economy by the standards of who is a millionaire. Go tell a millionaire that owns his own company would he hire someone to be his CEO that just has a hs diploma. You would get laughed out of his office. COLLEGE DEGREES MATTER! U can’t even dig a ditch without a hs diploma.
Oftentime college Degrees don’t matter?
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Adam P
10/03/08 11:19amJulious is right. Conservatives often use words like socialism and calling people radical liberals to prove a point. The truth is those words have a negative connotation and are used by the folks on Fox News to paint a picture of someone who is gonna raise your taxes and is soft when fighting wars. Words like these are used to raise fear that a democratic candidate can’t do a job in office.
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Common Sense
10/03/08 11:30amTo Mike F: There is no “maybe, maybe not” when it comes to the question of whether there were WMDs in Iraq before we invaded. THERE WERE NOT, and Goerge W. Bush and Dick Cheney knew it (http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/04/23/cia.iraq/). They lied to the American people, and you still believe their lies.
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Patty
10/03/08 1:28pmExcuse me but it is not the poor working sap that did not pay their mortgage, we worked hard to make our mortgage payment and if late we pay all the fees associated with that payment and dipped into our 401’s if we had to. I resent the implication that the mortgage crisis is our fault, what about Ed Mcmann and he had another rich man bail him out, who helps us?? It’s your professionals, Doctors, Lawyers, Accountants, bankers, etc., the ones who know their way around having to pay.
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Grip
10/03/08 4:35pm“ .. Do you know how many people ..”
Blah, blah, blah. Bill Gates took 25 years to get his college degree. Steve Jobs has one year of college. Eric Hoffer is one of the great modern philosophers without (1) a college degree or (2) a day away from the San Francisco docks .. and he could spell correctly.
Be a victim. You do well, in that role.
Slick Barry and Billy Ayers — Commies for America.
Julius Holmes
10/03/08 5:46pmGrip: Thank you for not answering my question and showing how flawed your logic is. Im not a victim. Ive overcome. Seeing as though you probably really know nothing about hard work perseverance and dedication your opinion about me means ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. You can’t attack the logic i come at you with so you have to cry about typos. LOL LOL!! Since we shouldn’t vote for obama what should we do.
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Malek Towghi, Ph.D.
10/03/08 6:02pmMike,
What has Socialism to do with your Islamo-Christian fanatic desire to “destroy Israel”?
Malek Towghi, Ph.D. in History
SoCal Spartan
10/03/08 6:11pmI so agree with that statement about the commie list. I can’t stand the lack of logic! However, I’m thankful we can vocalize the issues we have. I’m very sad I could not be in Michigan to see President Obama speak on the grounds of my Alma Mater! He chose the right college to visit.
Darnell Cool Breeze Holmes
10/03/08 6:13pmfunny that the people on here who oppose obama and call him a communist still cant answer a question and dance around it more than sarah palin does. you guys are idiots!
No grip on reality
10/03/08 6:43pm“ .. Better yet why isn’t the presiding president even campaigning for him?”
Because the LIB-BURR-AL media won’t let GWB work for McCain?
Drink heavily, dude. You need it.
And, yes, there is a case for Slick “Robin Hood” Barry.
There are many people in life who have to be told, what to do, when to do it, where to do it, and how to do it.
Slick Barry can do that. Have a nice 40 years, being told what to do — buh-bye.
Julius Holmes
10/03/08 7:07pmGRIP: OR should i call you gripe? LOL Don’t you get tired of getting on here showing people who silly you are? So the liberal media won’t let your daddy GEORGIE campaign. You still have fox news. How about John McCain is playing it smart by choosing who he has endorsing him. LAST TIME I CHECK FOX NEWS AND CNN reported that the president has a 70% DISPROVAL rating.
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Still no grip
10/04/08 2:40pmHave a nice 40 years, being told what to do, by MEAN-FACED, SHORT-HAIRED piss-ants — buh-bye.
someone
10/04/08 5:28pmSSI is not provided for alcoholism. that person claiming the unemployed person is getting paid to drink is probably leaving out that he has another comorbid condition. It is very difficult to get SSI unless you are severely disabled.
Dooby Doo
10/04/08 10:53pmBurning couches should be illegalized!! wrong headed Munn Field protest time! Eat lots of donuts. See you at Crunchies!!
Patricia Cogswell
10/05/08 11:47pmTo all Students
Vote, vote, vote. I am a grandma and not a student. I want to tell you that this is the most important election of your life. You are the ones who have to pay back the horrific debt the Bush administration has incurred and you are the ones who have to have to bury your peers in a war that never should have been. We cannot have 4-8 more years of this. Make sure you and all your friends really do get out and vote.