Pocono News Section

BBC Samples Scranton Opinions on Obama Administration

BBC Samples Scranton Opinions on Obama Administration - Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 11:30AM EST

Reported by: Mark Hiller
Wednesday, Jan 20, 2010 @ 11:30am EST
SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY - The city of Scranton was in the international spotlight Wednesday morning for the first anniversary of President Barack Obama's inauguration.

The BBC broadcast a live radio program from the University of Scranton.
BBC Radio talk show host Richard Bacon was in Chicago the night of the presidential election to cover Barack Obama's victory.
But the BBC chose Scranton as the place to be to look back on the first year of the Obama administration.

"Welcome to the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania," is how Richard Bacon greeted the BBC listening audience from the lobby of the University of Scranton's Denaples Center. He welcomed Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty among others onto the program to weigh-in on President Obama's first year in office. Bacon could have picked a major American city but had his reasons for choosing Scranton.
"Somewhere like Scranton is more typical of middle America," said Bacon. "And we know a bit about it because of Joe Biden, because of Hillary Clinton's family, because of the American 'Office'".

Five University of Scranton co-eds were chosen for a student panel to share their opinions about Obama year one.
"The University and the BBC called me on around Monday just to get some information, an idea of what my opinions are on certain issues," said University of Scranton Sophomore Rosemary Shaver. She's a history and political science major who's also forum editor for the university newspaper.

The panel opinions run the gamut -- from believing President Obama lived up to the hype to feeling his first year in office was a disappointment.
"I think he was able to improve America's image worldwide, he was able to stabilize the economy, he was able to gain some bipartisan support on Afghanistan, " said T. J.Yablonski of Moscow and a University of Scranton senior.

However, University of Scranton junior Shohin Hodizoda-Vance of Hershey believes the president has fallen far short of expectations.
"I think the fact that his approval rating has gone down consistently basically every month since he was elected shows that people are not happy with most of the things he did."

Reflections on President Obama's first year in office reached a potentially large audience. The BBC broadcasts to up to 2-million listeners each day.
Bacon believes it's important for the UK to understand the US through the eyes of Scranton - a city he believes doesn't just see things in black and white.
"Just hopefully giving people back home in England and Great Britain a better sense of middle America," said Bacon.
"People here, I think, are a bit more considered. I think that's quite a good thing."

The live BBC broadcast lasted from 9 a. m. to 11 a. m. in Scranton -- or 2 p. m. to 4 p. m. in London.