The Blog

Re the bumpersticker, I prefer the extended version: "Jesus was a community organizer, Pilate was a governor" (not my coinage, unfortunately)

"Creation Myth, a long piece in the latest New Republic by John Judis, argues that Obama got disenchanted during his three years of community organizing in Chicago, in particular with the fundamental Alinsky tenet that organizers should steer clear of politicians. This eventually made no sense to Obama, and he went to law school." Bingo. Yes, the text of the Giuliani/Palin slams was insulting to all community organizers, but the underlying context is directed at Obama -- that he did nothing as a community organizer. The appropriate response to those attacks would be to fire back with all the wonderful accomplishments Obama did in that position, but since his heart apparently wasn't in it, maybe that narrative isn't there. Hence, the peril in trying to compare him to Jane Addams or MLK. And instead, the left jumps all over the straw man, while most of middle America scratches their head wondering why a community needs some sort of professional organizer in the first place -- the outrage is lost on them.

Hm... so I am guessing you don't agree with the GOP spinners that his recent "put lipstick on a pig" comment qualified as cruel and possibly sexist?

Yes, being a community organizer is now a bad thing. But choosing to carry a special needs child to term is a now badge of honor!

Yes, if you want to get into the whole history of community organizing, you'll find all sorts of merit. But, of course, that's not the point. "Community organizer" to the ear of Republicans and many independents just sounds like another one of those impossibly liberal, goody-goody occupations that, outside of a few rundown urban areas, doesn't amount to squat. How many decades of community organizing have we had and still the entire middle of the country is a rusting, de-industrialized wreck. For "working Americans," it's just another small-ball liberal palliative and distraction that allows liberals to pat themselves on the back but does nothing to address the big structural problems that, for instance, FDR tried to address with the New Deal. Since the Dems adopted an upper-middle-class suburban strategy (big fake promises but balance the budget and please Robert Rubin first), their betrayal of working Americans is felt much more deeply. Republicans have always been natural jerks; Democrats have had to work at it. Sure, there have been noble, even heroic, community organizers. But in their numbers and swarms, by and large, they're ineffectual, self-congratulating, occasionally careerist, busybodies. Barack Obama meet Mrs. Jellyby.

OBAMA OWES COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS AN APOLOGY About 20 years ago in the windy city of Casper, Wyoming, I was privileged to serve among a group of 'community organizers.' These men and women served at the local mission, helped in latchkey school programs and we got involved in politics teaching on free enterprise and the constitution, helped register voters, and ran for precinct chairs all for the betterment of our communities. And we did it for free. Our pastors encouraged us to get off our blessed assurances and make a difference in our community. We knew what they preached and it wasn't anti-American nor did they call us white folk 'prosperity pimps'. My mentor was a hockey mom and I toted my Down Syndrome son around while doing these Random Acts of Kindness. Meanwhile in the windy city of Chicago, Barack Obama was doing his own 'organizing' involving himself for a paltry $12,000 salary (coming from taxpayer subsidies) for doing what? Serving soup? Mr. Obama has not yet answered to the public about his involvement with the far-left ACORN, Bill Ayers and those who masquerade as clergy. I guess that is why he has some skewed ideas about what service really is. I am not surprised why in the recent Service Nation Summit he promoted offering college tuition credits to students for community service. Maybe he should use the acronym IDRC for his big idea. It means - I Don't Really Care; I'm Doing it to Reduce my College tuition. Maybe he can enlist the IDRC's from liberal colleges to get more bogus voter registrations as ACORN has in over 12 states! I think Barack Obama owes an apology to those of us who have and continue to serve from the heart in communities all over this nation. Worse yet to use his questionable service activities and his 143 days in the U.S. Senate as a qualification for the executive office of President.

If one studies the history of the line of community organizers in which Obama was spawned from, it is anything but noble. Not to say they have not accomplished a few noble deeds. This is the quise in which they are allowed to claim deniability. All you have to do is read Saul Alinsky's "Rules for Radicals". Alinsky makes no bones about it. The point is acheiving a goal through means of reeducation (obama is big on liberal education), manipulation (obama using the race card), and indoctrination. A little common sense needs to be applied in one area here. Simply ask yourself, "How did Barack Obama rise to this position so quickly?" and "Who was helping him?". These are common sense questions that I feel are legitimate. The history of community organizing in Chicago is steeped in ideaology of Saul Alinsky, who founded Chicago community organizing. If Americans would simply spend the time researching this issue, and understanding who these people were, I feel they would see Barack Obama in a whole new light, as I have.

I'd like to comment on the "note" left by the Nobs person. You are a hypocrit. And a liar. Maybe Obama is, too... but the difference is, he doesn't do it "in the name of the lord." You've lived off your God for way too long. YOU owe US an appology for taking "God money" and living off of it while the rest of us worked honest jobs.