Oak Park state rep gets rare one-on-one with president

Ford talks shop with Obama during town hall event

Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011 10:00 PM

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By Terry Dean

Staff reporter

President Barack Obama had a much friendlier one-on-one talk at a recent town hall meeting in Illinois than he did in Iowa where he got into a verbal dustup with a Tea Party activist.

The president's bus tour of the rural Midwest passed through Alpha and Atkinson last week, two small towns in the northwestern part of Illinois. The visit to Atkinson on Aug. 16 included a brief talk with state Rep. LaShawn Ford (D-8th), who was in attendance at the event.

Ford was able to spend about 15 minutes before the town hall with Obama, himself a former South Side of Chicago state senator. Ford said Obama remembered him from the 2007 8th District race when Ford faced then-incumbent Calvin Giles. The President, who was a U.S. senator at the time and had not yet announced for the presidency, backed Giles, Ford recalls.

Ford told Wednesday Journal he didn't engage in small talk with Obama at last Wednesday's town hall. Instead, he used the time to discuss issues, rural poverty among them. As Ford explained, poverty in rural areas is just as bad as it is in urban areas, so he wonders why most rural voters support Republicans instead of the president. Ford addressed that topic with Obama as well.

"If he can make that connection between rural and urban America, to show that we're all in the same boat, that will bring people together," Ford says. "People in Springfield are poor and can look over and see that they're the same as people on the West Side (of Chicago), but they want to vote for Republicans."

Ford surmised it's because those voters also tend to side with Republicans on the right to carry guns, among other social issues.

"There is this strong belief that if you vote for Democrats, then you will take away our ability to own a firearm, and I think that is false," the state rep said.

Ford also talked with Obama about shoring up the Democratic base heading into next year's presidential election. He believes Obama needs to get the various voting groups to see eye-to-eye on economic issues.

"If we vote economically, the Republicans will not stand a chance," Ford insists. "He can win by making the connection and getting those voters to see that they are not rich like the people they're voting with. The Tea Party has been able to raise concerns and change Washington into doing away with some things that should be helping people who are not rich."

Ford specifically mentioned cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and money for college students. "The people marching with the Tea Party need these programs," he said.

Ford recalled the president saying that he didn't feel like he was getting any help in Washington from elected officials. He invited Obama to visit Chicago's West Side, which is part of his 8th Illinois legislative district.

"I know he's the leader of the free world and has to make his rounds, but I think he can come here and get his base up," Ford said.