The Journal

Issue date: 9/6/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Laila Wessel Mike Dorsey (left), the Midwest Political Director for presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, and Gov. Holden urged others to get involved in the campaign and answered questions of the audience in the University Center Sunnen Lounge Sept. 4.

Many left the University Center Sunnen Lounge Sept. 4 feeling disappointed after coming to hear presidential candidate Barack Obama's Midwest Political Director, Mike Dorsey, talk about the Democratic senator from Illinois' campaign platform and strategies for the election.

"I thought it was pretty horrible," said Macklin Rice, a senior studio art major. "(Dorsey) had the opportunity to lay out Obama's platform and he didn't. He kept talking about how he wants people to go out and knock door to door (to gain support for Obama), and there are 50 doors right here (in the audience). I learned more about Obama from an audience member who made a comment."

Dorsey explained he supports Obama because Obama wants to make a fundamental change. But Dorsey did not fully clarify what fundamental change Obama wants to make when prompted by audience members.

Mandi Lee, a freshman acting major, asked Dorsey how Obama would appeal to her as a conservative Christian. She said she was disappointed by the response she received. Dorsey said Obama is a Christian man, and he had much in common with conservative Christians.

"I didn't get any straight answers," she said. "As a voter, I'm going to look to people with straight answers."

Emily Dyreson, a freshman lighting design major, thought that Dorsey avoided many of the questions audience members asked him. He did not know Obama's stance on health care and was completely unaware of how Obama felt about free trade.

"This event wasn't a political debate," she said. "He had no straight answers and kept skirting around the issues. I know that's what politicians do, but I was still disappointed."

Matt Nugen, Obama's National Political Director, cancelled his commitment to the lecture series put on by the Holden Public Policy Forum because he was busy planning a large fundraiser sponsored by Oprah.

"We had both of them booked and were glad," said Betsy LePoidevin from the forum. "It is the nature of their job for things to come up like this."

Continued...

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