Youngstown's own Jan Pentz was featured on a Morning Edition segment this morning in an interview at the Golden Dawn. The young Obama supporter they matched her against was completely outmatched by Jan's wisdom and incisiveness (as I often find myself, also). Jan did herself, her students, Youngstown, and Clinton supporters everywhere proud.
And by the way, I will go on record and agree with you Jan that I think Clinton has more experience and skill than Obama and would make a fine and worthy president. We'd be lucky to have her.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Youngstown's own featured on NPR
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7 comments:
Loved the interview too, though poor Alison was definitely outmatched. I think Clinton would be a fine president, too, but I think the idea that words can't change things, like I think Obama's can, is a fallacy put out by Hillary's campaign. To be able to put words together in such a way that inspires people to take part in their governmental processes is something more valuable than I think Jan gives credit. And when it comes to foreign policy, which Jan mentions as a big issue for her, I would rather have someone who knows how to truly, openly and inclusively communicate with others than someone who arrives at her points through bulleted business documents and a stiff arm. Nonetheless, she'll do for me, if she absolutely has to. ;-)
I also love this blog entry by a person who was not buying into the Obama "hype" until she actually looked at his and Clinton's records side by side and realized that, despite her years of experience and wisdom, he gets more done than she does.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/2/20/201332/807/36/458633
Ok, me again. :-) I feel compelled to offer counter-arguments to Jan's because I was invited to the meeting and couldn't make it, and wish I could have.
One other argument Jan uses for Hillary is that she's faced the Republicans on the Universal Health Care issue, and knows how they'll combat her again in the future, giving her more experience than Obama on this. I think the fallacy of Jan's logic on this point is that simply because Hillary was who went up to install Universal Health Care previously and was defeated, she is then the *only* person able to learn from her failure. Any politician worth their salt will have studied exactly how Clinton failed in the past, and know from that how they can succeed in another attempt. Now, if *I* realize that, surely Obama, as well as many other politicians do too.
Clinton's real failure with healthcare was that she devised it behind closed doors, and so had very little support when she presented it. She's a closed-door kind of person, though, which is exactly what we ourselves here in Youngstown have been arguing against in our local community. Why have that at the national level?
Thanks for the comments, Chris. Should I make you an official guest contributor? :-)
Sure :-)
I'm a Youngstowner, too, though to the right of you all, from all appearances. But I enjoy reading about the home folks and love Youngstown. (I hope you don't mind comments from the right; being from Youngstown most of my classmates and long time friends are Dems, so I am used to political disagreement.)
My take, big picture, is that, with all respect, I am surprised that so many in Youngstown stay wedded to the same Democrat party ideologies that have really, by and large, failed to broaden the economic opportunity that is going to be required before Youngstown can enjoy any widespread economic recovery.
Both Hillary and Barack are really more of the same, though I cannot promise that McCain will be any better for the Valley. The real problem is the attitude of the people that government programs are going to rejuvenate the area, and that they are going to elect people who promise such programs or nebulous government "help."
There will be no recovery until corporations have some reasons to set up shop there -- primarily an industrious and educated workforce and political leadership that makes the town an attractive place to come to and stay.
Anyway, thanks for the chance to write. I enjoyed the blog.
palinurus, Thanks for your comment. Firstly, I welcome all comments and opinions. For what it's worth, I'm a registered independent. Sadly, in our current political system, we're stuck with two parties, so given that I sure as hell am not supporting the party that bears the most responsibility for taking us to war and thereby encouraging excessive financial turmoil, political unrest, global instability, judicial extremisim, and obscuring of religion-state boundaries--my choices are fairly limited.
Nor am I looking for handouts necessarily. I believe in limited government more than George W. Bush, though I believe there is a role to be played in creating a fair playing field for the least fortunate in our society to be helped to get by.
I'd be interested in hearing your suggestions on how to create or encourage that industrious and educated workforce and install that upstanding political leadership it sounds like we both agree are fundamentally necessary to the region's future. Thanks for your comments!
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