Stay classy, RNC!
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"Street Organizer"
06 Jun 2008 11:34 am
Comments (25)
...or "Gang Leader."
This is awfully thin-skinned. I was unaware that Democrats are now ashamed of the term "street organizer". I thought many organizers still proudly called themselves by that name.
The respectful campaign continues.
That said, I would love it if Obama used the phrase "ghetto operative" in his next ad.
Dan, I've actually never heard Obama referred to as a "Street Organizer" until today.
Well Barack himself is a pretty classy guy, but calling the South Side projects "communities" is also kind of a stretch.
What is he, a community and regional planner?
Hey, another race card! That makes 7 and a half decks full of race cards played so far!
Stay classy Chicago Sun Times ("Only in the world of politics, Michelle Obama said, after she highlighted Obama's resume -- from street organizer to the Illinois Senate -- 'would insiders dare to look at those accomplishments and dare to have the audacity to say he is not ready.'")!
Even better - Stay Classy Barack Obama!
"Mr. Dillard said, “I remember Rickey chiding Obama that, ‘What do you know, Barack? You grew up in Hawaii and you live in Hyde Park. What do you know about the street?’ To which Obama shot back: ‘I know a lot. I didn’t exactly have a rosy childhood. I’m a street organizer by profession and a lot of my area, once you get outside the University of Chicago neighborhoods, is just as tough as your West Side, Rickey.’ ”
So, Barack Obama calls himself a street organizer, but if the Republicans use the very same words they are racists. Hilarious.
Just another race card dropped. Matthew and the Obama campaign has a race card a day to play, so it's expected.
Hooray for Google:
"Street organizer" -obama: 2860 hits. On the first two pages, there's only one hit that doesn't refer to a named street (and I think those are mostly about stationery). That hit is about the lunatic Lyndon LaRouche.
"community organizer" -obama: 390,000 hits.
It looks "street organizer" is not an accepted term for community organizers.
Al: YET ANOTHER example of the GOP accusing someone of doing what they're doing.
It looks "street organizer" is not an accepted term for community organizers
Well, you should definately take that up with Barack Obama then! Can't have the candidate using a non-acceptable term!
"Slum Captain" !!!! LOL!!!
This is the kind of ridiculous nonsense that the RNC is going to use to go after Obama. It's absurd, and it's indicative of why folks are fleeing the Republican party in droves.
But the "Slum Captain" line did make me laugh...
I'm absolutely sure that Kirk Dillard, who incidentally is a Republican, remembered that conversation verbatim seven years later.
Obama calling himself a "Street Organizer" in a NYTs article is posted at Obama's own website
http://tinyurl.com/4skk8k
Because I come from an unorganized community, I am unclear on what a community organizer does. Can Obama take credit for increasing graduation rates, lowering the murder rate, affecting quality of life, etc? Or are his accomplishments reflected in the amount of money he was able to extract from various governments for community "activities"?
I'm also sure that the Obama campaign fact-checks every indirect quote attributed to him in every New York Times article they post on their website.
Even if that quote is solid gold 100% accurate, all it would show is that Obama called himself a "street organizer" once when someone had just been talking about "the street." But "street organizer" is not the job description.
Matt Weiner is on the money. Context is important, and when someone fails to at least entertain it, they come off as either uninformed ("village idiot") or disingenuous ("troll", "mole").
Snap Quiz: in this context, am I being descriptive, or insulting?
Will Matt and the race hustlers still bring up how "bigoted" we all are after their guys wins the White House?
I think yes. That's what you get with a Dalton-harvard edu-ma-cation.
BA
I'm absolutely sure that Kirk Dillard, who incidentally is a Republican, remembered that conversation verbatim seven years later.
So Al's proof that it's not just Republicans who call him a street organizer is that Obama called himself a street organizer... according to a Republican. Oh, and the Chicago Sun-Times used it once too. If you go to the RNC page you'll also note that they also have scare quotes around "street organizer." What helping unemployed people find jobs has to do with the street I couldn't tell you.
I'm also sure that the Obama campaign fact-checks every indirect quote attributed to him in every New York Times article they post on their website.
Shorter Matt Weiner: Obama can't be held responsible for what's on his own website!
What helping unemployed people find jobs has to do with the street I couldn't tell you.
What helping unemployed people find jobs has to do with organizing I couldn't tell you either.
Matt Weiner is on the money. Context is important, and when someone fails to at least entertain it, they come off as either uninformed ("village idiot") or disingenuous ("troll", "mole").
What would it be when someone tries to create context?
"Street organizer" is a neutral term, and some Obama supporters decided it was being used pejoratively. The only evidence we have about what Obama thinks of the term is that it is posted in an article on his website.
Street organizer, community organizer--call it what you will.
Should it be highlight of your resume if you're running for POTUS?
Only in Liberal America, 1972/2008!
The tfillen fat boys with asthma at LittlereenFootballs call Obama "a former brownshirt shvatz street organizer who'll look to round up Jews to put in the ovens once he's elected." Despite his pandering to the AIPAC ziocons - look for the Republicans to start smearing him in that fashion soon enough. My guess is it'll lose them votes.
Community organizing is about helping the members of a particular community get together to work on matter of common interest. According to newspaper reports, Obama helped the relevant communities on issues such as getting asbestos removed from a local housing project, getting a job-training site, and even getting some local stop signs.
Incidentally, while I think this is a valuable sort of experience for someone interested in a career in government, I might note that contra to eddie's implication, it isn't the only line on Obama's resume.
Comments closed June 20, 2008.
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Heads in the Sand
I'm surprised they didn't go with "Outside Troublemaker".
Posted by DTM | June 6, 2008 12:00 PM