Why does Newt think the "Saul Alinsky" attack on Obama will work?

[BrentWil]

Just wondering. There is no evidence that Obama was heavy influenced by Alinsky. Moreover, if you look at what Alinsky actually did, I don't think it would be that controversy. Not that the American people will take the time to actually look at him.

I just don't understand why the other side thinks this will be so effective. Can someone explain it to me?

[lunatica]

1. Newt throws in big names to make himself look like an intelectual

He's always done that. That's why dumb people think he's smart.

[BrentWil]

7. But, it makes no sense...

I mean, I could understand some logical connection to the man, then a detailed rational for why this is bad. But all you get is, "Saul Alinsky's America" What the hell is that and why does the President have a connection to it?

I can sort of understand what he is doing. But if he thinks it will work for the vast majority, he is a fooling himself.

[Morning Dew]

2. The name "Saul Alinsky" sounds so Soviet Bloc

and Puke voters are low on information.

Hear the name, think of commie socialists.

[mucifer]

3. Alinsky sounds foreign and foreign is bad and scary.

[quinnox]

18. lol, exactly

[WingDinger]

4. Dgo Whistle to base. They smoke the stuff.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_whistle

[FarLeftFist]

5. I hope this gets people more interested in Saul Alinsky.

[JaneQPublic]

8. I read him for a college class in Social Work Methods

As I recall, the book offered very practical info on how to organize and work the local systems for the betterment of the people and communities you were hired to help.

It wasn't a screed on Commie ideology, as Newt suggests.

[FarLeftFist]

9. Exactly, far from it. It was how to lift people and community from poverty for the most part. Also,

Alinsky never voted in any presidential election and never claimed a political party. This will backfire on Newt big time.

[jberryhill]

6. There is a RW cult around the Alinsky meme

Folks who throw around Alinsky's name are the thinking man's birthers.

[scarletwoman]

10. The odd thing is, I could swear I remember reading sometime last year about one of the major Tea

Party organizers bragging about using Saul Alinsky's methods for their own organizational efforts. It was something like, "Ha ha! We beat the Left at their own game!"

Does anyone else remember that?

[COLGATE4]

11. "Obama was influenced by a Commie Jew"

That's the dog-whistle Snoot is employing in the home of the Klan. It's a threefer - N-----r, Commie and Jew. Doesn't get any better than that.

[WCGreen]

12. Because Emmanuel Goldstein was taken by Orwell...

[stevenleser]

13. My first thought when I heard it was, "99% of the GOP base dont know who that is"

I'm not sure it means anything to anyone except us liberals and progressives who dont really care what Gingrich says.

[aaaaaa5a]

15. Exactly. Nobody knows who he is.

And certainly the base of Gingrich's support doesn't know. They just hear a "Karl Marx" sounding name and off they go! Gingrich knows this. That's why he uses the reference so often.

[JI7]

14. actually the problem was that most of his Audience never heard of him

that's what i was thinking when he mentioned Alinsky. does he not know that most of his audience have no idea who that is ?

[WorseBeforeBetter]

16. "Cloward-Piven" won't be far behind, if he hasn't thrown it out already.

Causes the wingnuts to froth at the mouth, like with Alinsky.

[grasswire]

17. They used it against Hillary

Hillary did actually write a college paper on Alinsky, so they were able to maintain that drumbeat against her.

Remember Solzhenitsyn's words: Give a dog a bad name and then you can beat it.