Mocking Service
For my money, the most insulting (and revealing) aspect of last night's festivities was the fact that both Rudy Giuliani and Sarah Palin derisively mocked "community organizers." And they didn't just mock the idea that having served as a community organizer was a qualification for being president (remember, this was Obama's first job out of college over two decades ago), they mocked the very job itself. Watch Giuliani and the crowd disparage the job in this clip:
Unbelievable. And Palin did the same thing in her speech, suggesting that community organizers don't do anything of value.
These attacks reveal a part of the Republican worldview that has always bothered me immensely. There's a real disdain among Republicans for any kind of "do-gooderism," any kind of work that's done primarily for moral/ideological reasons instead of monetary ones. The reality, however, is that such service is not only admirable, it's necessary. Where would this country be right now if there weren't people who were willing to volunteer their time or work for meagre wages in order to help their communities? The reality is that community organizers, social workers, and similar servants of the greater good, are the backbone of this country. They sacrifice a lot of time and money because they want to make their communities better places to live. They want to give back. And they deserve to be honored for their service, not mocked.
Obama turned down a lot of higher paying opportunities to work as a community organizer on the economically-ravaged South Side of Chicago. He spent his years there earning very little money while trying to improve the lives of as many people as he could. And remember, that was over two decades ago. It was his first job, not his most recent (which makes Palin's facile comparison even cheaper).
If I were a community organizer, I'd not only feel deeply personally insulted by last night's speeches, but I'd likely never listen to what a Republican has to say ever again.
UPDATE: Allow me to be the first to call "BS" on this story. There is NO WAY the teleprompters were broken during that speech. She was clearly reading from them the whole way through. Just look at her eyes and body movement. Anyone who believes this story is gullible fool.
Unbelievable. And Palin did the same thing in her speech, suggesting that community organizers don't do anything of value.
These attacks reveal a part of the Republican worldview that has always bothered me immensely. There's a real disdain among Republicans for any kind of "do-gooderism," any kind of work that's done primarily for moral/ideological reasons instead of monetary ones. The reality, however, is that such service is not only admirable, it's necessary. Where would this country be right now if there weren't people who were willing to volunteer their time or work for meagre wages in order to help their communities? The reality is that community organizers, social workers, and similar servants of the greater good, are the backbone of this country. They sacrifice a lot of time and money because they want to make their communities better places to live. They want to give back. And they deserve to be honored for their service, not mocked.
Obama turned down a lot of higher paying opportunities to work as a community organizer on the economically-ravaged South Side of Chicago. He spent his years there earning very little money while trying to improve the lives of as many people as he could. And remember, that was over two decades ago. It was his first job, not his most recent (which makes Palin's facile comparison even cheaper).
If I were a community organizer, I'd not only feel deeply personally insulted by last night's speeches, but I'd likely never listen to what a Republican has to say ever again.
UPDATE: Allow me to be the first to call "BS" on this story. There is NO WAY the teleprompters were broken during that speech. She was clearly reading from them the whole way through. Just look at her eyes and body movement. Anyone who believes this story is gullible fool.
posted by A.L. at 9:41 AM
24 Comments:
David Plouffe sent out an e-mail this morning:
"Both Rudy Giuliani and Sarah Palin specifically mocked Barack's experience as a community organizer on the South Side of Chicago more than two decades ago, where he worked with people who had lost jobs and been left behind when the local steel plants closed.
"Let's clarify something for them right now.
"Community organizing is how ordinary people respond to out-of-touch politicians and their failed policies.
"And it's no surprise that, after eight years of George Bush, millions of people have found that by coming together in their local communities they can change the course of history. That promise is what our campaign has been about from the beginning."
I donated $25.
Social workers are government bureaucrats who get paid a salary, just like everybody else. It might be many things, but it ain't volunteer work.
Perhaps it's escaped your notice that there's a bit of difference between being a community organizer and touting it on your resume. Last time I looked, thee are all kinds of conservatives that are do-gooders. They just don't consider it a qualification for high public office.
And there's a deeper ideological divide that's bubbling up around this, too. When you imply that community organization is a legitimate qualification for high office, you also imply that such organization has a legitimate coupling to government functions, either by government promoting (or discouraging) various community organizations, or by assuming that government should be responsive to the special interests that often arise from such organizations.
That's a perfectly legitimate position to espouse but it's unlikely that you're going to hear a conservative espousing it. So, yeah, Obama received a couple of zingers last night, and the GOP base got some of their pet arguments reinforced. If that's the worst thing you can come up with to rebut the GOP speeches, I'd say you're having a certain failure of imagination.
But I do wholeheartedly agree with you that, if I were somebody who identified myself as a community organizer, I'd likely never listen to what a Republican has to say ever again. Of course, the intersection of set of people that are thus self-identified and the set of those who would listen to a Republican in the first place is a mighty slim voting bloc.
RM,
Two points. Obama has never claimed that his time as a "community organizer" was a qualification to be president other than in the totally uncontroversial sense that it gave him some perspective on life and insight into how grassroots organizing can change lives. Remember, this was his first job out of college over two decades ago.
Second, if you watched the speeches last night, they weren't just mocking the idea that this job was a qualification; they were mocking the job itself. Period.
Mark,
Not all social workers are paid by the government. Many work for charitable organizations. And all of them do important, difficult work for very little compensation. There are easier ways to earn the kinds of salaries they make.
There's a real disdain among Republicans for any kind of "do-gooderism," any kind of work that's done primarily for moral/ideological reasons instead of monetary ones.
How utterly ridiculous. Conservatives, including Republicans, have long supported private charities (especially churches) that have actually helped people get back on their feet. Our argument has always been that these groups, working to get donations from people like me and you, and with some financial assistance from the various levels of government (Covenant House in Alaska, for example), do the job more efficiency and with greater effect. Yet, these groups (again, especially churches) are attacked by liberals for being shills of the Republican Party, even if its patently false. In fact, its gone so far that liberals put in policies that are a complete violation of the Establishment Clause (see what happened regarding adoption services provided by Catholic Charities in Boston).
Obama turned down a lot of higher paying opportunities to work as a community organizer on the economically-ravaged South Side of Chicago. [snip] And remember, that was over two decades ago.
First, he did it for personal political gain (very Clintonian, as in Hillary Clinton). Second, the economically-ravaged South Side of Chicago is still economically ravaged. So what good did he actually do? Add that the same people being elected by the voters of the economically-ravaged South Side of Chicago are still there, and the South Side of Chicago is still economically ravaged. The approach they are taking is obviously not working; which leads me to believe that these kinds of community organizers and groups (ACORN) are nothing more than shills for the same corrupt Democrats "representing" those areas, along with their endless failed policies.
The reality is that community organizers, social workers, and similar servants of the greater good, are the backbone of this country.
And then liberals put in policies to take over that role. Now instead of volunteering time and money to charity, I'm forced to pay taxes to a bloated government bureaucracy for the same thing, a bureaucracy devoted to perpetuating and expanding itself than doing the type of work you're talking about.
And it doesn't answer the question, what did Obama actually do as a community organizer. I don't mean in general; specifics are needed. Especially in light of the fact that the area he's from sucks as bad as when he was a community organizer there.
Mark Steyn and Charles Krauthammer had previously disparaged community organizer jobs, Steyn describing it as a "phoney-baloney" job.
Its true that the Palin speech sounded as if it was written by a right-wing blogger. It had all the tropes we've been hearing about Barack amd Michelle Obama for the last year.
Hey, Steveil, are not community organizers in white areas too, and funded by private charities and by churches, including right-wing fundamentalist churches? And, sre not some of them in small towns and communities of the rural poor?
Giuliani and Palin managed to disrespect the lot, including disrespecting the communities who value their local organizer. Thanks, guys.
If I were a candidate (god forbid), I would rather be associated with a comment about community organizers than I would the disparaging comment Obama made about the unwashed blue collar conservatives. I don't subscribe to either of those points of view, but one of them is a shotgun approach, broad brush, whereas the other is s sniper shot.
I also think the Obama campaign, if not the candidate himself, likened being a community activist to being a small town mayor. Uhhhh, no. A mayor is serving ALL the people and is accountable for results.
I suggest we "don't go there" against someone as politically savvy as the "pit bull with lipstick".
Dude, watching the speech on CNN, there were times when you could read the teleprompters over her shoulder. You're absolutely right, A.L., that any story that the teleprompters were broken is BS. Anybody's welcome to go back and watch it if they don't believe me.
Hey, Steveil,...
You obviously missed my point.
gosh i get tired of the "tax me all the time" line
has it occurred to conservatives (those that tout themselves to be fiscally responsible) that they are the ones that leave our country in debt, they are the ones who hire private companies (at 4x the cost) to do the job our military once did, they are the ones who borrowed over 300 billion dollars to invade a sovereign country, and on and on and on
help me out, i've only around since the late 60's...when was the last time a republican left office with a budget surplus?
No one attacked small towns and small town mayors, but she attacked communities and people who work with and in them.
Don't see why Dick Cheney in a dress, spectacles and lipstick (maybe some plastic surgery thrown in) should scare any Democrat.
You know the speech was writen by a White House speechwriter? It showed.
I hope that the formidable community organizer lobby isn't angry. What will we do?
I hope that the formidable community organizer lobby isn't angry. What will we do?
That's not the point. The point is that is a group of people that do important work and in turn get very little compensation or recognition. I'm not saying that mocking them is necessarily a political problem for the GOP. I'm saying it reflects very badly on them as human beings.
And has it occurred to liberals that the fiasco that is the endless liberal Social Security and Medicare that is the real reason why we're in debt up to our ears? How do liberals propose to fix it? Higher taxes. How do conservatives propose to fix it? Get the government out. Except, there are always too many liberals (both parties) in Congress without the guts to fix them.
I'm saying it reflects very badly on them as human beings.
I see. Unlike that model of human reflection Barack Obama, a supporter of infanticide.
Biden has already gone into Dukakis-mode, "Oh, I don't attack the other person, that's just too mean! Let those mean mean Republicans do that! We're too GOOD."
Lame. Do Democrats ever learn ANYTHING?
Actually, Virginia Conservative, after Obama blew the doors off the Democratic Convention last week, we did learn one thing...wait for it...
Conservatives are for do-gooding and community action when done under a religious guise. In other words, proselytizing and political organizing (preferably paid for with government faith-based initiative funds) done while posing as do gooders. I always thought organizing community action for the common good was a fundamental Christian principle. Wasn't Jesus a community organizer in the broad sense of the phrase?
Wasn't Jesus a community organizer in the broad sense of the phrase?
Yes, and Pontius Pilot was a Governor. Just saying.
A.L.--
Second, if you watched the speeches last night, they weren't just mocking the idea that this job was a qualification; they were mocking the job itself. Period.
They were certainly mocking anybody who self-identifies as a "community organizer," rather than as a "legal aid attorney" or a "social worker" or a "volunteer." We all know resume-padding when we see it. When you get all puffed up for political purposes, you deserve to get punctured. Score one for Obama's petard, in the hoisted position.
The real story is Palin was a lousy mayor who took a town with $0 debt in 1996 and left it $22 million in the hole in 2002, mostly from the hockey rink/sports complex she shoved down their throats which never became the money generator she promised it would. Another white elephant from another white elephant.
Even with the stable Clinton economy during most of her mayoral tenure and Jack Abramoff's crony she hired to lobby Washington to help her now indicted buddy Ted Stevens ring up $27 million in federal pork for tiny Wasilla (pop. 5000 when she entered office) she still managed to leave the town swimming in debt. Three of her pork projects even made McCain's own wasteful spending list.
She was so heavy handed the town's folk forced her to hire an administrator to handle day to day operations or face a recall.
As governor she is borrowing from Alaska's future while she wants to give away today's Alaskan windfall oil tax bonanza and the huge surpluses they've generated in bread and circuses tax giveaways. Alaska gets 89% of it's operating budget from taxing oil coming out of the ground just like Arab kingdoms and Hugo Chavez's Venezuela. They have no state income or sales tax up there. Instead of using that windfall to pay for all the profligate spending her Republican legislature keep sending her she's issuing bonds to pay for it all which Alaskans and US taxpayers will have to pay off in future years while she takes credit for tax "rebates" while she's governor.
Her fiscal policy is a disaster in the making which won't hit til she's left the governor's office. She'd be a disaster as Vice President especially to a President who despite his grevious wounds and type A personality is already past the age his father and grandfather died of sudden heart attacks.
She can put on all the lipstick she wants but her political record is for the dogs.
Norah O'Donnell says "the champagne corks are popping on the right" after last nights speech!
I think that the fact that Obama took a low-paying job to do what he believed would benefit the community shows a commitment to public service, and is legitimately counted as a credit to his character.
On the other hand, being a community organizer should not be confused with being a community volunteer. Clearly, Palin and Giuliani were not in any way disparaging people who volunteer to help their church, run the PTA or lead the local boy scout troop.
Community organizing is a form of political action. Obama’s community organizing was done according to principles established by Saul Alinsky in the manifesto “Rules for Radicals.” The idea is to organize a community to conduct activities such as sit-ins and boycotts as a way of enhancing its political power and influence.
Obama wrote that “Once I found an issue people cared about, I could take them into action. With enough actions, I could start to build power. Issues, actions, power, self-interest. I liked these concepts. They bespoke a certain hardheadedness, a worldly lack of sentiment; politics, not religion.”
The type of people who are community organizers are not likely to be potential Republican voters. The type of people who do volunteer work are.
So, only republican voters do volunteer work??? Hmmmm
I guess I better tell the volunteers I worked with over the years, most of which were liberal. And it was for a good cause. Well that is if you count helping disabled people a good cause. I dunno... Some repubs call disabled people hmmm "useless eaters." and whine about SSDI. How EASY it is to get. And how lazy it is to be on it. And they whine about medicade and medicare. I guess they would rather people who can't afford their own insurance or cant getit due to a pre-existing condition go with out any medical care. Or go broke trying to pay for it themselves. That's true compassion right there ain't it?
I'm so tired of it all. And yes I am working (albeit for free) to help improve things too. We need to do something about making sure everyone can get medical care. And I'm not talking about just going to the ER like McCain's people thing. The ER does not treat things like Cancer, MS and diabetes. It's for emergancy's only. Hense the name Emergency Room.
And the free clinic are not equipped to serious diseases either.
So what do we do? Let the ones that can not afford it suffer? Let them die? What do we do? I know what I am doing. I'm trying to make a difference. I'm trying to make things better.
But silly me... I'm just a liberal and I don't count.
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