 President Barack Obama gathers with the Clubb family for today’s “Backyard Discussion.” |
President Barack Obama passed a blue-and-white Bulldogs flag this morning as he entered Drake Athletic Director Sandy Hatfield Clubb’s home in Beaverdale.
Obama, Clubb and dozens of Drake staff, students, friends and neighbors gathered behind her home for a “Backyard Discussion,” one of a series of events designed to allow ordinary citizens to interact directly with the president.
An online photo gallery is available here.
The discussion included a brief speech by Obama and questions from the crowd. Topics of the day included poverty, unemployment, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and many more.
All but one of Drake’ head coaches were present, with eight student-athletes assisting with check-in and logistics for the event. Drake University President David Maxwell and his wife, Maddy, were also on hand, as well as other officials and representatives of the university.
Seth Van Deest, a sophomore business major who plays center for Drake’s men’s basketball team, checked guests into the seating area. “This was a once in a lifetime experience,” Van Deest said. “He did a good job answering questions on key issues affecting America.
“You come to Drake for more than athletics; you come for academics, you come for experiences and opportunities like this.”
Iowa Gov. Chet Culver, a Drake graduate, and Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie sat just behind Sandy and Jeff Clubb during the event, which was covered by national and local media of all sorts.
Iowa Public Television provided live coverage of the event. The coverage is archived at http://www.iptv.org. The Des Moines Register published a story Thursday, Sept. 30, which is available on the newspaper’s website.
 President Obama discusses issues with citizens. |
Prior to Obama’s address and questions, the Clubb family met privately
with the president, who was described by Sandy as a wonderful guest.
“Believe it or not we saw, met and greeted the President at our
front door. We were able to visit with him privately for about 15
minutes,” Sandy said. “The first question he asked was ‘You have to tell
me how the Bulldogs are doing.'”
Following his speech, the president spent much of the
question-and-answer period explaining and defending recent legislation
and platforms supported by his administration.
Responding to a woman’s concern that she and her mother will lose
their health coverage due to the administration’s recent health
insurance reforms, Obama said, “If you’re happy with what you’ve got,
nobody’s changing it. “¦ If you don’t have health care, then it’s just
going to help.”
A small business owner expressed concern over Obama’s plan to raise
taxes on the nation’s wealthiest. The president explained that the new
tax only affects those with an annual income above $250,000, and
defended the current tax levels.
“Your taxes have not gone up in this administration, your taxes have gone down in this administration,” he said.
Sandy and her husband, Jeff, both registered Democrats, are not
exceptionally active politically. A Des Moines Register article cited
Iowa Rep. Janet Peterson as the individual who nominated the Clubbs, who
were then chosen from a pool of candidates by White House staffers.