GOP jabs at Barack Obama, 'community organizer,' spark a reaction

After initially taunting Barack Obama about tire gauges, the message-makers for the just-concluded Republican National Convention segued to a new target -- that portion of his resume when he worked as a community organizer in some of Chicago's lower-income neighborhoods.

Several speakers made cracks about the job, none more memorably then the GOP's new vice presidential nominee, Sarah Palin, in her Wednesday night speech to an enthralled partisan throng.

Referring to her own background as the chief executive of Wasilla, Alaska, she said: "I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a ‘community organizer,’ except that you have actual responsibilities."

Clearly she (and her handlers) like the line: Palin just recycled it at a rally in Cedarburg, Wis., with John McCain.

For its part, the fraternity of community organizers are fighting back (after getting over what must have been the shock of hearing their chosen field singled out for ridicule).

Our colleague Frank James at The Swamp blog noted The Center for Community Change, a D.C.-based group that trains community organizers, quickly responded with a sharply worded statement. It said, in part, that when Palin "demeaned community organizing, she didn't attack another candidate. She attacked an American tradition --- one that has helped everyday Americans engage with the political process and make a difference in their lives and the lives of their neighbors."

And the New York Post has more quotes today from upset community organizers. Joshua Hoyt, executive director of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, says: "I don't like seeing the really hard work that goes on in really poor communities being demeaned by cheap politicians."

Add this to the list of disputes in this campaign season that we didn't see coming.

-- Don Frederick

Comments

[Mike]

Get over it! Palin's point on Community Activism was to combat the incessant left wing questioning of her experience. Period. The left wants you to believe that the Republicans do not believe in community activism - completely incorrect.

[turkeyfish]

Independent minded New Orleanians are rallying behind the Palin call to run the community organizers out of their city.

Citizens insist that they no longer need help. They can pull themselves up by their bootstraps all by themselves, the old'fashioned republican way. There's no more need for faith-based community organizing in the US.

Down with community organizers and other faith based initiatives!

[LaRae]

An interesting read from an unusual religious perspective - I didn't know Christians could think like this! If you're into that kind of thing, I highly recommend checking this out:

http://www.newsflavor.com/Opinions/McCain-Hijacks-Christianity-Via-Palin.240929

[A real community organizer]

I am a community organizer. It's not a job, it's not a gig, it's not even a hobby. I'm a gadfly, a mixer, I'm running a scam. I get politicians to pay attention to me by talking up a causes, making statements and trading my support or cooperation for "favors". Everybody does it. It's the American way. I'm not ashamed, it works. Get over it. Everybody is scamming the Man.

[Bob]

How much of an elitist are McCain and Palin for consistently attacking community organizers!

[Eric]

How many community organizers feel that their experience is enough to become president? She was reacting to the Dem bashing of her exp. So, if Obama bashes, you're not aloud to defend yourself? It's over for the Hollywood Obama machine now. GOP (Rove) has reasses and outwitted them, once again. I hate both parties, but Rove is an election genius isn't he...

[bob gabriel]

The GOP is a disgrace to the name of Jesus. They claimed to be Christian but love wars to kill people. They redicule community organizers who help people that they want to led. They are anti-immigrant, not friendly to strangers which was one of Jesus' principles of entertaining strangers. They talk about arbotion been a grave sin while they go to war to kill those that are already born and living. All these attributes are not the qualities of Jesus Christ.
Sarah Palin is a causalty of political struggles for power. She was not chosen because she is the best but John was looking for a person to use to get him elected.
She cannot be a good leader if she has no control of her household.

[Eric]

Yeah, community organizers are out to really help folks just like doctors are.

[thebob.bob]

It was GWB's dad who called on all Americans (not just church-going evangelicals) to be one of those 'thousand points of light' and get involved in solve their communities problems. Sounds like McCain/Palin are more interested in scoring political points then getting problems solved. But that's been the Republican way since the "Contract on America".

[liberty4all]

Unfortunately I think some of you may have missed the point about the community organization comments made by Sarah Palin. I think she was addressing experience gained while being a community organizer on the basis of qualifying one for presidential office in response to the mainstream media (and others squarely behind Obama) criticizing her lack of experience.

She didn’t belittle community organizers or the great things accomplished by volunteer work in the community. That would be most of her intended audience. It doesn't much matter your race or even political preferrence...don't most average working people have more respect for a community organizer than a politician.

All Sarah did was sarcastically point out Obama’s lack of experience running anything. The only reason Community Organizer was brought into the speech was due to the fact that Obama talks about all of the experience he has by saying he is a great “Community Organizer.” Most of the good Community Organizers out there are not doing it for self serving reasons. A good community organizer is probably the person you don't even know. The only reason you would ever know of them would be by all of the great things getting done to help people because of them. Obama isn't really that guy yet.. infact he has gained way too much from doing way to little for anyone to consider him a good community organizer. The only reason I would be behind him was if I thought that by getting elected he could make good on all of his promises. Based on what he has said I would be optimistic...however based on what he has done vs. the gain he got from it...don't count on him. He isn't a doer his is a talker. He certainly doesn't compare to even the Local " Community Organizers" that I have seen in action.

If you still don't see how Sarah Palin isn't a jerk for calling him on the carpet for his lack of experience ... let me invent a little example story illustrate my point.

Imagine for a minute that Obama had been a governor and if he did have some experience as a mayor and that he was actually qualified for the presidency. However, in this story lets pretend that the majority of the main-stream media wasn't carrying his water

Suppose that I personally jumped into the Presidential race with the Media Squarely behind me. Let’s say I was a Boy Scout Leader and used that particular organization to promote myself. Even thought I was actually new at even this position…lets say I had effectively used this opportunity to help my image. Let’s also say that in spite of the fact that it was mainly due to the expertise of others that I had done so well. While I was a great speaker, always touting my Boy Scout experience, I personally really hadn’t done anything that would help me be ready to take on such a challenging job as President of the United States of America.

On I went with the media behind me softening criticism and spinning my image for me I finally defeated another more qualified (but bitter and less dynamic) conservative candidate and was well on my way to the presidency.

However, let’s assume that the Example Obama (lets call him that to reduce confusion) recognized that this Boy Scout stuff was my main claim to experience and he couldn’t understand why everyone was so critical of his legitimate experience while giving me a pass so he brought up his actual relevant experience and questioned how my claims at being a Boy Scout Leader were more relevant that his leadership experience (with a funny comment at a convention).

Fortunately for me, someone in the Media who was behind my cause wrote a story called “Example Obama takes a Jab at Boy Scouts and sparks a reaction.” Then Boy Scout supporters saw the caption while browsing the news and thought…what a jerk…he can’t be president he hates the Boy Scouts. So the most vocal (and perhaps the most bitter) of them pulled out their electronic soap boxes and started complaining about their lives and how Example Obama was going to ruin them. They came strongly to my defense despite my reletively recent alignment with the Boy Scouts…and despite the fact that I had never done much but give lip service for my own benefit.

Just to clear up any confusion caused by this verbage

1. I am not qualified to be Presiden't of the United States despite what you might think by reading this post.

2. Obama isn't qualified either and he isn't a true Community Organizer" he is a candidate using Community Organizing to get himself elected.

[old moses]

The blogs seem full of questions about what Community Organizers do. Well I don't know about Chicago. But I can tell you what they do here in Albuquerque, n.m. They usually come around every Saturday morning knocking on doors and asking for hand outs of groceries, food, money or anything that is useful. They are also looking for newcomers to the area (especially poor people from Mexico). They hand out brochures printed in Spanish and English with a lot of important phone numbers, police dept., ambulance, who to call for free medical service, schedule and location of local city park parties (where there is free commodity hand outs, free hot dogs for the kids) and the location and phone numbers of the local welfare office. Also these brochures list all the things you need to take with you to apply for welfare. Do not confuse these people with the police, ambulances atc. these people are community service individuals, they could care less about how your community is organized. I am so damn sick of picking these brochures out of my rose bushes and flower beds every week. I am not knocking any one, I have not voted in 50 years, and will not vote this year. I could not live with my conscience if I though I had helped elect either one of these jacka**es. Just telling you what a community organizer does. At least that is what they are called here in Albuquerque.

[Tina]

Oh please! The media did not attack Palin, it did what John McCain's people should have done and vetted her ahead of time! Stop trying to make excuses for her comments. She said exactly what she meant to say and she stayed on the Republican talking points. She is going to be 2nd in command in this country and you don't want anyone to ask questions about her? Methinks the Republicans protest too much!

[Reality]

Obama is a shame and a fraud. His community organizing ended with him getting nothing done for people in that community. He helped jailed criminal Rezko more than anyone else. Barack Obama has helped radicals like Rev.Wright 20 years church donations of large sums of money. Raised campaign money for himself with terrorist Bill Ayers, ties to Pfleger and racist Farrakhan, Al Sharpton. Obama has nothing to give america except talk and lies. He comes NO where close to being qualified to lead this country.

[lax]

We don't need mavricks in the White house. We need leaders who can analyze,rationalize and understand the intricasies of running the most powerful country in the world.What Palin is doing like any inexperirience rookie in any profession to belittle others. Secure and individuals with substance advance on thier own merits

[Kevin]

Did Obama ever say that his community organizing was what made him experienced enough to be president?

Seems like Palin's just using a straw man.

[CK]

In 2000 and in 2004 I struggled when I voted for George Bush but as a black Evangelical I made a decision due in large part to the idea that the Republican party changed their mindset and were sympathetic to the plight of the poor and were looking to assist faith based organizations, etc. This never really panned out and the scales have been removed from my eyes and I see that the Republican party consist of elitist of various sorts but mostly middle aged wealthy, white men and women who in 2000 courted the black evangelical to meet their projections to get Bush elected for four more years. It was in my opinion a trick of Karl Rove and ultimately carried out by George Bush The words of Wednesday night by Pataki, Giuliani & Palin put a nail in the coffin on the Republican party being an alternative for me, even as a conservative evangelical black man. When you rip community organizers and play the culture war and use code words like "uppity" to describe an African American man who worked hard to serve others I have to move on. The other shocking event of this past week was the absence of black faces in the convention crowds--this confirms my suspicions that ultimately people like Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Michael Savage are not on the fringes of the Republican party but really do have their hand on the pulse of the Republican party and it is all about those that have over those that have not.

It is safe to say from what I have heard this week--the Republican party is concerned with 'Hockey' & 'Soccer' Moms and not really concerned with 'Single' moms who are losing their kids to violent streets, poor schools the other things that community organizers fight against everyday without pay.

[JUT]

What amazes me is that Palin thinks community organizers have no real responsibility. The whole idea of community organizing came about in the 1960's. People (mostly churches) would work to empower those in need by helping communities which were mostly in the inner cities learn how to work the system or present their needs to fight Town Hall. The community organizer is extremely experienced at motivating, modeling, building consensus and leading groups to seek solutions for themselves. Ironically, Barack Obama began his career as a faith-based initiative in Chicago. This is the same idea that the Republicans have pushed for years. To demean the leadership role of a community organizer and claim the mayoral position requires more leadership is just not true. To state that a community organizer has no real responsibilites is just not true. I think that was demeaning. I work tirelessly to organize communities in a large city to raise the literacy rate of the adults in that community. I believe helping people take control of their own lives is a heck of a lot of responsibility.

[Veteran]

Obama supporters didn't like their candidate's weakness be exposed and has to resort to this kind of lame and feeble defense. Pity! You guys attacking Palin's executive experience and argue she's not ready to be VP. She just pointing out the fact that Obama never even have any serious responsiblity that will be called for on the duty of an executive. Community service is noble and respectable. But does that qualify Obama for president any better than Governer experience of Palin for VP? Stop being hyprocrites. Think of it this way, driving a school bus is an honorable job. But does merely that would be sufficient to qualify one to fly an passenger plane? Worst of all, Obama doesn't seem to be a responsible or at least an undecisive person by not voting in senate and dodging question using lame excuses such as "above my pay grade". Does that seem he would treat his presidency seriously if he's elected? Did any fair and objective reporter ever challenge that? The media lost a lot of credibility this election season by their biased reporting.

[Larry Jenson]

Have you ever thrown a neighborhood party? Then you are a Community Organizer. You have just as much experience as Obama, especially when you consider he has been running for President for most of the time he has been a Freshman (beginner) Senator. Have you ever questioned your parents authority? Then you have more experience with Reforming than Obama.

[JW]

I have read a few intelligent comments on this blog. Those of you who indicated that Governor Palin was not ridiculing community organizers, but Obama's use of it as experience for the Presidency, are right on target. This woman was striking back at Obama and the smears that his supporters and he have been lobbing at her since McCain's announcement that she would his VP. I am just wondering how many of you that write this offensive garbage are getting your "palms greased" by B.H.O.

[Larry Jenson]

People are scared in this country because of terrorism and they are hurting because of high gas prices and loss of employment. It is times like these that they stick to their guns and their religion...often they find a scapegoat to blame their plight on, like the republicans or the Jews and if they dont have a God, they look for a surrogate, like Obama or Hitler.

[Kate L]

Well, let's see...

Sarah Palin described community organizers as a whole, not "Obama's experience as...", so the apologists can just stop there.

Hmm...Beauty queen, sportscaster, 20-month small-town mayor, governor of the 48th largest state with a population smaller than Memphis, Tennessee.

Versus...

Community organizer. Civil rights attorney. Constitutional law professor. State senator and then U.S. Senator for the 6th largest state with a population of 12 million.

Oh, yes, right, those are comparable, all right. If you're STUPID. (See? Governor Quaylin isn't the only one who can do sarcasm.)

[Eric B]

Isn't a small town mayor and a community organizer pretty much the same thing? They organize the community and give them a political voice, except the mayor has a budget, employees to manage and has to be elected to office. People need to get real here, if you want to make something out of nothing go ahead, but Obama cannot compare his experience as a community organizer to being a mayor. Community organizing is an important part of the urban landscape, no one is doubting that but it really is the bottom of the food chain when it comes to political "office".

[PulSamsara]

America will not reward complete Republican failure.

Not this time.

[JUT]

I bleieve that the experience being compared related to foreign policy. At the minimum Obama has been on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and has received briefings from agencies regarding international issues.
Secondly, he has worked both sides of the aisle as is proven in his legistation with Luger on non-proliferation of nuclear weapons which shows a level of experience that Palin cannot claim.
Finally, I am really tired of the "executive" mantra. What do you think Barack Obama has been doing the last 19 months. He is the executive in charge of one of the most well-run, fiscally responsible, 50 state organization probably in history. I would argue if you want a model of how Obama would run our government, just look at his campaign. He has made decision after decision but the most important one was that he would use the model of citizens working to improve America from the ground up.
Empowering them to take back their country. He is organizing an entire country to fight back.
I do not demean Sarah Palan. She has accomplished a great deal, but she nor the GOP need to demean Obama and his followers in such a bitter and sarcastic manner.