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October 26, 2011 10:10 PM UTC

President Obama Stumps With College Kids In Denver

  • 56 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

One of dozens of handheld cameras in the gym of the Auraria Campus today, here’s the speech from President Barack Obama in Denver in its entirety, courtesy a reader with a USB key:

UPDATE: The Colorado Independent’s John Tomasic:

“The reason I’ve been hitting the road so much is because the people I’ve been talking to in cities and small towns, in communities all across America, let’s face it, they make a lot more sense than the people back in Washington.”

Revving up to full campaigning form, Obama said people around the country are hurting, looking for work for months and years, and he reiterated the point, underscored by the Occupy Wall Street protesters lined up outside the building and at the back of the hall, that the deck has been stacked in favor of the wealthy and powerful and that it has been that way for decades, to the detriment of the country.

“For decades too many of our institutions, from Washington to Wall Street, failed to adapt [to the globalized world] or they adapted in ways that didn’t work for ordinary folks… We had a philosophy that said if we cut taxes for the very wealthiest and we gut environmental regulations and we don’t enforce labor regulations, that somehow, you know, if we just let Wall Street write the rules, then somehow that was going to lead to prosperity. Instead, it led to the financial crisis and the deepest recession since the Great Depression.”

The status quo has to change, he said, and added that Republican lawmakers “don’t share our sense of urgency.”

FOX 31’s Eli Stokols reports:

After rallying some of the state’s most prominent and powerful Democrats during the fundraisers, the President spoke to a crowd of mostly students who waited in the early morning cold on Tuesday to get free tickets to a speech that laid out a new plan to help people struggling with student loan payments…

“If Congress won’t act, we will,” Obama said.

One of the president’s proposals would push up the start date for more favorable terms on a special loan repayment program based on income, according to the White House. Another measure would encourage graduates with two or more kinds of federal loans to consolidate them and get a small break on interest rates.

“Because of this change, 1.6 million Americans could see their student loans go down by hundreds of dollars a month,” Obama said.

After quickly outlining the plan, Obama asked the crowd to use the cell phones held high to snap his picture throughout the speech to call or tweet members of Congress to encourage them to take more comprehensive action to address the economy.

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56 thoughts on “President Obama Stumps With College Kids In Denver”

  1. President’s hand lotion is amazing. Soft skin, firm handshake, delightfully handsome, and the Secret Service ain’t bad either!

    …Oh yeah, and the student loan consolidation proposal is pretty great; about time that we stopped simply expecting college freshmen to make enormously nuanced financial decisions with no guidance and no protection when we refuse to fund financial education in K-12. A “Know Before You Owe” statement would have saved many of my friends a lot of grief. I was lucky enough to have parents who made teaching me to manage money a top priority from the moment I was old enough to know what it was, but not every parent can do that for their child. Most young people are graduating high school adequately prepared to make the decision between their education and six figures of debt.

    But OMGOMGOMG Obama OMG I was right there OMG I shook his hand OMG

    /Cowgirl will be no use to anyone for at least 24 hours until the glee wears off

      1. That my President aged better than yours.

        Even you can’t ruin my happy today, Arapa. Just behave. I won’t pick on you if Sarah Palin winks at you and you melt one day.

      2. Because no GOP candidate comes close to having the appeal and charisma of ‘The One’. Obama’s still got it and he will no doubt win in 2012.

        Also, his student loan policy is one of the most common sense policies I’ve seen come from Washington in a while. Make the loan repayment process more efficient by allowing borrowers to consolidate into one loan with a low interest rate, set monthly payments at 10% of your disposable income, and discharge the remaining balance after 20 years. This has the potential to inject new money into the economy, encourage more students to actually pay their loans rather than default, and it won’t cost taxpayers anything.  

        1. If the official GOP line (of which A-GOP is an official spokesman) is to make fun of or belittle someone or something, then that is the person or thing they fear.

          1. The writing is on the wall for GOP White House ambitions. There’s a reason why the actual quality GOP prospects are holding out for 2016 – Christie, Daniels, Rubio, etc.

          2. They’ve been doing the same thing to women, minorities, people with disabilities, and anyone else who threatens the status quo for decades. If they can’t win on reason, they try fear; if people stop being scared, they try belittling, condescending, and mocking.

            Funny how Obama’s STILL kicking their asses… guess you actually HAVE to be able to win on reason these days.

        2. This is nothing more than bribery. It’s an economic shell game. It’s fiscally irresponsible, and it’s meant to win votes. Period.

          http://www.foxnews.com/politic…

          The idea is to cap student loan repayment rates at 10 percent of a debtor’s income that goes above the poverty line, and then limiting the life of a loan to 20 years.

          Take this example: If Suzy Creamcheese gets into George Washington University and borrows from the government the requisite $212,000 to obtain an undergraduate degree, her repayment schedule will be based on what she earns. If Suzy opts to heed the president’s call for public service, and takes a job as a city social worker earning $25,000, her payments would be limited to $1,411 a year after the $10,890 of poverty-level income is subtracted from her total exposure.

          Twenty years at that rate would have taxpayers recoup only $28,220 of their $212,000 loan to Suzy.

          The president will also allow student debtors to refinance and consolidate loans on more favorable terms, further decreasing the payoff for taxpayers.

          Obama’s move comes at a moment when many economists are warning of a college debt bubble that is distorting college tuition rates and threatening to further damage credit markets. The president’s move is intended to make college more affordable for more people, which will, in turn allow universities to jack up their rates.

          Thanks for nothing, Obama!

          2. That whole scenario is bunch of crap. The current policy is that repayments are 15% of disposable income and balances are forgiven after 25 years. This is not some new idea. He’s suggesting tweaking it a bit. The only people who would ever have $212,000 in student loans are those studying to be a lawyer or a doctor. Suggesting that this person will only make $25,000 is so outrageous and would be an EXTREME exception to the norm.

            And to think she would only make $25,000/year for 20 years is stupid. The point of the 10% repayment amount is that you will repay the bulk of your loan as you progress more in your career. This is because you will make more money and thus will have a higher payment.

            Furthermore, the reason loans are forgiven after 20 years is because they can’t be discharged in bankruptcy. People can and do walk away from their mortgages, car loans, payrolls, and business loans every day (Just ask Donald Trump). Graduates don’t have that option. Additionally, borrowers that don’t pay have their wages garnished. I will trade you the 20 years provision if you will allow student loans to be included in bankruptcy.

            What’s really bribery is GOP candidates promising you unrealistic tax cuts that will never see the light of day. “Vote for me and I’ll make you rich by cutting your taxes in half!”  

            2. But then, maybe, ArapaGOP is a bit closer to “Suzy Creamcheese” than he lets on; racked up a similar whopping tuition bill from Westwood College or some other fine instituion of higher Nahledge (SIC), and has correctly projected his earnings/potential since gradyeation day?  

              1. ” Take the example of Suzy Creamcheese – she’s someone we want to keep right near the poverty line and bilk the living shit out of with bank and admin fees.”  ” We can keep our thumb pressed so hard on this demographic they’ll never stand a chance, plus it plays well with Wall St.” “Still with me guys ? “

    3. here in Grand Junction.  Once as a candidate on a beautiful fall day, and once again when he was here pushing his health care plan.

      Both times, it was an amazing experience.

      The White House is blogger-friendly, so I was able to get press credentials both times.  That was a two-edged sword.  Although I had great seats, wi-fi, a place to put a tripod, I was also confined to the Press Pen, so I (along with everyone else in the Press Pen) was kept away from the receiving line.  I had to interview the crowd (who I really wanted to talk to) over the Press Pen fence, but it worked fine.

      Very inspirational man.  Good on you for getting to shake his hand.

      1. DNC and Inauguration — I was working for a social network for people with disabilities at the time, and Barack was one of the most disability issues friendly candidates ever. Also the first President to appoint a special adviser on disability issues. I share your feelings about the press pen; great for actual blogging, not so great for handshakes! Loved the experience, loved this experience, and will continue to see him speak as often as possible.

        I remember his charisma the first time I saw him when he was still running behind in the primary, before Super Tuesday. At DU’s Magness Arena. Two football fields worth of attendees couldn’t get in and waited outside on the actual football fields in pouring rain. Barack went out and spoke to them first and gave each football field the full speech, not just a few remarks; I was lucky enough to have a seat inside and his people came in and said he’d insisted on speaking to the people outside first so they could go home out of the rain. Then when he came in, the crowd just completely went ballistic with delight. It was one of the first times he did his “I love you back” line when people yell “We love you” at him–he gave us that one again when he took the stage today, and I gotta say, I felt some of that 2008 excitement come back.

        I have my criticisms of the President as a President, as do we all, but as a campaigner, orator, and a person who simply connects on a fundamental level, I don’t think he has an equal living today.

          1. Granted, not during Clinton’s term, but he had a great deal of presence but did not strike me the same way Obama does.

            Maybe it’s generational.

            1. I’m dating myself seriously here, but the hands-down, most charismatic politician I’ve ever seen in person was Hubert Humphrey.

              If even a little bit of it had translated to television, he would have been president.

                1. He never forgot a face, never forgot a name, and could recall them instantly no matter how long it had been since he’d seen someone. People who met him just once and then didn’t see him again for several years were blown away when he recognized them and called them by name. Unlike today’s politicians, he traveled alone most of the time, or brought his wife along to do the driving.

                  He didn’t have a squad of aides trying to micromanage whom he was to talk to or what his topics would be.

                  He was an incredible orator. It’s really a shame to see our current crop of politicians, most of whom can’t string together a sentence containing anything other than talking points.

                  It almost made living in Minnesota tolerable 🙂

                  2. Add “makes you feel like you’re the only person in the room for the ten seconds you’re talking to him” and Gertie’s description of HH is essentially word-for-word what I’ve heard from three different people about meeting #42

              1. But that wasn’t my primary location during the DNC. I was mostly out and about taking photos and interviewing people. I stopped by the big tent to file stories fairly often.

        2. Mile High Acceptance Speech and was excited and very favorably impressed, not least of all by the crowd enthusiasm and the over all experience. Just never been the type to be swept away by or go into swoons over charisma, celebrities (political or otherwise) and theater.

          I’m sure Obama and Clinton are both high energy fun to see and even more to meet, although I never felt the same about Clinton after learning that his idea of sax (not a typo) greatness was Kenny G.  Seriously?

    4. and the Secret Service ain’t bad either!

      They liked Obama’s speech. But the secret service guys – the hormones my daughters and their friends were emitting over the secret service guys I’m surprised they didn’t get pregnant. Definitely interesting to see.

      1. Like, there’s not a magical Dad-blinders that makes you not want to know what your kid is hormoning over, so you ignore it and it’s like it never happened near you?

        FUUUUUUUCK.

        1. We still don’t understand women, but we do understand the signals they emit. And we completely understand what is going through the mind of the boys that are dating you – which is why we look at every one of your boyfriends wishing we could have them shot for what they’re thinking.

          1. Except my dad is convinced I’m a lesbian because I’ve managed to survive a whole YEAR without a man in my life now (!!!!) so rather than glaring at boyfriends he tries to INTRODUCE me to guys…

            But I didn’t know you noticed the daughter hormones… I’m deeply embarrassed for my teenage self now.  

  3. to help the economy

    but

    it will help and it doesn’t require approval from Congressional Republicans who have no intentions of doing anything to help the economy before 2013.

    This was an excellent follow up to the jobs bills that he sent to Congress.  I think it caught the Republicans flat footed.  They didn’t anticipate him using the powers of his office to keep simplifying government and working to give ordinary citizens a break.

    Their “It’s Obama Fault” strategy is going to take some direct hits with these kinds of measures.  He can say that he tried to work with Republicans in Congress and he did other things that didn’t require the approval of Republicans in Congress and they didn’t do dick except complain about him.

    The 2012 election could be brutal for Republicans if they aren’t careful about their attempts to stall the recovery.  He can claim he needs legitimate partners to move the country forward and if Republicans don’t want to work together for the good of the country than replace them.

    He is backing them up to the edge of the dock with these measures.  If it is campaigning then the messaging is brilliant.  “We’re doing something and they aren’t.”

    1. Actually there’s not much pretending there.  The Dems in Congress might find that a relief as they fail over and over to assert their power in even the Senate.  Obama should do EVERYTHING positive he can do through executive action, he should not even mention Congress and he should continue talking directly to voters every day.  It some point this approach would drive the Boehners and McConnells (not to mention Repub candidates for the Presidency) absolutely bonkers.

      1. and think he is OK to point out their impotence.  The narrative is we are doing something and they aren’t.

        They have no jobs bills on tap.  They have no new ideas or practical solutions.  They are just hoping that the economy will suck until the election then magically recover on its own while they are in power.  Pretty transparent dithering on their part that could backfire big time.

        Obama is going to be the energizer bunny and just out work them on new ideas to help ordinary people.

        Winning the War on Terror and restoring international order frees him up to concentrate on the recovery of our economy.  He is going to kick butt on these new initiatives.

        1. possible.  Whatever he can do without them, he should do. Since most people, including most of the GO(T)P presidential candidates, think the Prez has the power to do all kinds of things no president can really do anyway, often blaming the Prez for things that are the congressional GO(T)P’s fault, why not do what he can and get the credit?

          Enough polite deferring to bi or post or whatever partisanship. Do as much as can be done unilaterally and any positive, noticeable movement between now and the 2012 election will belong to him as the President who listened to the people and their 91% lack of approval for the Republican dominated congress and got some good things done for the 99% while Rs did nothing but attack and obstruct.

          1. Targets.  Those who seem to enjoy wearing a large bullseye on their person . . .

            Vermin.  Those who are part of a disease-carrying infestation . . .

            Vittles.  Those little buggers who are tasty . . .

          4. and all around apologist for Republicans.

            The only person more toady than Carville is Sirota.  Getting paid by corporations to attack Democratic politicians from the left is their specialty.

        3. He’s been riding his success from 1992 with nothing else of accomplishment since then. He’s more annoying than insightful. And that stupid book cover of his, where he has his arm around the shoulder of an Obama cutout, makes me puke when I think of how much he attacked Obama during the Dem primaries.

          That, at least, is why I don’t like him.

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