Community Organizers Respond.
"Today, the nation’s leading organization’s responded to Palin’s attack:
– Center for Community Change: When Sarah 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.
– Assn. of Community Organizations for Reform Now: ACORN members, leaders and staff are extremely disappointed that Republican leaders would make such condescending remarks on the great work community organizers accomplish in cities throughout this country. The fact that they marginalize our success in empowering low- and moderate-income people to improve their communities further illustrates their lack of touch with ordinary people.
– USAction: These groups, and the millions of individuals they represent, are dismayed by the recent dismissal of their efforts in the form of political attacks. Community organizations have been at the heart of every major reform in modern history – from the Boston Tea Party to the civil rights movement for example, the quest for civil rights began when community organizers mobilized the disenfranchised.
– Community Organizers of America: The last thing we need is for Republican officials to mock us on television when we’re trying to rebuild the neighborhoods they have destroyed. Maybe if everyone had more houses than they can count, we wouldn’t need community organizers. But I work with people who are getting evicted from their only home. If John McCain and the Republicans understood that, maybe they wouldn’t be so quick to make fun of community organizers like me.
Faith In Public Life has more responses from leading community organizers."
Is there any sign of whether the "community organizer" backlash is making it into the consciousness of the "normal" media?
September 4, 2008 7:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Rec'd. And before anyone defend Palin by saying that speech was written over a week ago, I say BULLSHIT. It's accountability, baby. You opened the door for Biden and I can't wait for the debate and IF you decide you're "informed" well enough to do an interview.
September 4, 2008 7:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
There NEEDS to be an ad about this and QUICKLY
September 4, 2008 8:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
Agreed. This has to be an ad.
What she said, with no ambiguity, was that she is better than a community organizer. In other words, that she is better than Martin Luther King Jr. and Jesus Christ. Unkown what has happened in her life that would lead her to such jaw-dropping narcissism.
And did you all see that she is using the line in her stump speech? In other words, the rocket scientists assigned to write her speeches have only written one.
It was interesting to see that idiot Sherry Sheperd (the View) so excited about Sarah Palin before the speech and so offended after the community organizer bash fest. It was racism, pure and simple, and Sheperd, her daily idiocy notwithstanding, clearly recognized that.
By the way, what is going on with this story that Palin called Obama a Sambo? Does anyone else buy this, or have another source for the story other than the original reporter?
September 6, 2008 1:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
HERE THE COUNTER INSURGENT ATTACK AD FROM THE OBAMA CAMPAIGN:
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.
Throughout our history, ordinary people have made good on America’s promise by organizing for change from the bottom up. Community organizing is the foundation of the civil rights movement, the women’s suffrage movement, labor rights, and the 40-hour workweek. And it’s happening today in church basements and community centers and living rooms across America.
I’m Barack Obama, and I CERTAINLY DO APPROVE OF THIS AD THAT BITES BOTH PALIN AND MCCAIN IN THE RED STATE AZZ……
September 4, 2008 9:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Are you going to hear from the outraged Association of Small Town Mayors next?
September 5, 2008 12:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
Are you trying to be witty?
September 5, 2008 1:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
No, just pointing to the official statement from the Obama campaign (following Palin's announcement) and his subsequent comments pre-speech that make this jab by Palin set the score as 1:1
September 5, 2008 4:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
THIS IS EXCELLENT NEWS!! FOR MCCAIN!!!
September 5, 2008 2:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Attention Gov. Palin:
Jesus was a community organizer.
Pontius Pilate was a governor.
heheh. I didn't make this up, I saw it on impalin.com
September 5, 2008 4:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Insulting those who do most of the volunteer community work in this country -- and that is many, many millions -- is going to backfire bigtime on the Republicans.
Palin is a bit too convinced for her own good that her elitist smarm is instead wit. If the Republican Party didn't have hate-speech, it would be totally mute.
September 5, 2008 7:16 PM | Reply | Permalink