"One Simple Question." On the Experience of a Community Organizer.

[Blue State Bandit]

Note: This is a repost from GDP with an updated title. I crossposted at Dkos and was taken to task over the original title by someone who didn't read the whole diary first. All links will be listed at the end. The Body has not been altered other than a minor post script. Thank you.


Update Note: It seems that my original title caused many to think that this post is meant as a head to head "Mayor v. Community Organizer" death match post. I understand, sort of, but this is not the premise. (From DKos post)

We have a precedent that needs to be made clear to all. Our second President was a community organizer.

I was reading this http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x6965626">ProSense
post at DU and followed the link to the comments on http://blog.beliefnet.com/godspolitics/2008/09/palin-owes-some-good-people-an.html">Jim Wallis' blog.

Now I've been trying to scream this (electronically) to anyone who would listen, but I guess my voice just got lost in the roar.

Barack Obama would not be the first community organizer to ascend to the Presidency. And to denigrate such experience, is an affront to the very foundation of our nation.

Let my comment explain what I think should be our "One Simple Question".

Let us not forget that our second president, John Adams, and many of our Founding Fathers including John Hancock, Paul Revere, and Ben Franklin, were community organizers in a loose organization called The Sons of Liberty.

These community organizers, not unlike Barack Obama led a social movement that led to the formation of the United States.

So for anyone who would like to truly compair Obama's experience organizing a movement that has drafted him one step from the White House, I would ask one simple question:

What movement has Sarah Palin organized?

As a matter of fact, I do have a few possible answers you can supply for those who seem to be at a loss for words to this question...

-Maybe the AIP takeover of the Alaska State Government.

-How about the sellout of our national infrastructure security by assisting TransCanada to waste our natural gas reserves in the production of highly polluting oilsands that would be consumed by the U.S. at an inflated price.

-I know, convincing Hillary Clinton holdouts to rally behind Barack Obama and kick her ass!

Why are we not using this?

We don't even have to question anybody's patriotism!

But we can show people what it means to "be" a patriot!

The republican base is not the ultimate target here. It will be those listening for the response. We all know that the moderate Republicans are flaking away like old paint on a rusty car.

This would justify such an outrage within the Duty, Honor, Country mindset of many Republicans on the fence. Those who serve or have served our nation honorably. Those who still believe in the core ideals of America's promise.

This is a battle of inches. And were in the red zone.We need to use our best arguments to fight back.

Rec this up so everybody knows the One Simple Question!

Cross Posted at http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/9/7/103330/9093/1022/589873">Daily Kos and http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/Erik/gG5WCc">My.BarackObama.com

Original post http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=6970888&mesg_id=6970888">here in GDP.

[angstlessk]

1. ya know when they say Obama can't get his promises he makes through

because of DC politicians and burecrats...COMMUNITY ORGANIZING is exactly WHY & HOW he can move DC...as he said in his speech "Change does not come FROM Washington, it comes TO Washington" and his community organizing IS how change will come to Washington, through 'WE THE PEOPLE' whom he has a proven record of supporting!! NOT THE 'INSIDE THE BELTWAY BANDITS'!!!

[Blue State Bandit]

2. Hallaluja!!!!!

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.

Margaret Mead.

That's the point. Respect the community organizer, because they are the ones who can organize an army to oppose you! Case in point: The Sons of Liberty v. King George.

[angstlessk]

4. I wish Obama or his surrogates would bring up the 'Sons of Liberty' as

community organizers and explain how "Change TO Washington" occurs BECAUSE of community organizing...how do we get the word out???

[radfringe]

3. ****GASP***

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3941356

[Blue State Bandit]

5. You said it my friend!!!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x6971042#6971053

As far as I'm concerned, them attacking community organizers is no different that attacking children. Attacking them is like attacking my family or my heros. Actualy, it IS attacking my family and my heros.

[movonne]

6. Keep this going ...K&R please

[Blue State Bandit]

7. Some good points are being made on the other thread

on the DK cross that I would like to share.

How about asking this simple question...

When did "experience" become so essential to Republicans?

8 years ago, John McCain was a Viet Nam vet.

8 years ago, John McCain was a former POW.

8 years ago, John McCain had spent many years as a Senator...

YET

8 years ago Republicans decided an unaccomplished, uninformed party boy named Bush was the better choice INSTEAD of McCain.

If we look at this from the standpoint of the NCAA basketball tournament, according to Republicans Bush was better than McCain.

Now this election gives us something LESS than Bush (McCain) verses Obama.

So..

Obama vs. something LESS than Bush = A No Brainer

President Obama, your Limo is waiting.

And my response...

This argument still leads back to John McCain's...

judgement and lack of control of his own party. My point with this piece is to lead this right back to McCain'a ability to lead anything beyond his own Senate office.

His VP candidate and surrogates demean Community Organizers, while he is asking people to be Community Organizers.

His VP candidate and surrogates demean Community Organizers, and he alows it to continue after his call for Community Organizers.

He picks a VP candidate that demeans Community Organizers without understanding the quintessential role of Community Organizers in the founding of the very country that they wish to lead.

All of this leads back to one point; is John McCain fit to lead this country if those who he would employ to enact his policies don't even understand the basic principals behind our nation's origins? And more importantly, can he even control them?

Yes, I focused my attention on the biggest target available; the one who continues to spew such slime. And a admit that I could have picked a clearer title that reflects the thinking of the moment: that putting these two names together in the same sentence is taboo. But I profoundly disagree that such a tactic is counter-productive in any way.

In the post, I refferences a comment that I made on another blogsite. The name in the last highlighted line can be replaced by anyone else who would employ such a tactic. It just so happens that she is the onlyone who continues to use it as an attack at the moment. And that's who we were talking about in that particular thread.

This becomes "More Than Just Bush" if you think about it. At least Bush had the Neo-Penti-Dom's on a reletivly short leash, as was cronicaled by David Kuo. Imaging what will happen if McCain gets in. It would be Armagedon on steroids.

We must remind people that they don't respect our founding principals, and I believe that this does the job.

[Blue State Bandit]

8. My big critic has asked me a valid question.

I've tried to offer a fig leaf with my answer. I'm still waiting for a response.

Q) If this diary is about McCain, then why do all the references STILL point to her?

to which I replied...

A) I thought this was about a diary in which you thought ill of the title? Now it's a conversation? It took you how many posts to ask your own simple question?

And to answer your question, your long requested question is....

John McCain was not the deliverer of the ComOrg swipe. It was his surrogates. Two of them in particular.

First was Rudy Guliani. But he has not repeated that line to my knowlege since the convention. "What's her name", on the other hand, continues to repeat it at every one of her whistle stops since the convention.

Since he condones it, but won't say it himself, we must find another way to hang it around his neck like a dead weight.

What I'm trying to propose is tagging the surrogate who's pushing this attack, Palin, as lacking in the understanding of how Community Organizers are the very mortar that built this country, all the way down to the foundations, that being The Sons of Liberty, and our 2nd President John Adams.

Once she is sufficently tagged as demeaning to our founding principals, she will be a dead weight that McCain will be forced to drag to the polls in November.

This line of attack has the added bonus of questioning the understanding of the meaning of patriotism of everyone who voiced their agreement with her by exposing the Republican party's attempt to redefine that very word.

And doing it without actually questioning their patriotism.

Now if I were to change out her name for, say Guliani, could you then go back and discuss this tactic withm me?

We have wasted 10+ hours nit picking with each other, and I would rather have someone help me to refine the argument, and not critisize the unfoutunate fact that I went to a dysfunctional public school.

I would rather fix the problems, not make new ones.

Id rather not fight a fellow dem over trivial shit, but I'm not going to just sit down and take it.

This is both my point and my point!