Folks - "Community Organizer" means something way different to the GOP

[NewJeffCT]

People, when Sarah Palin and other Republicans are saying “community organizers” it is really a code word.

It does not mean disrespect towards people who help people that are out of work and downtrodden. To them, that is not what they are saying when they say community organizer.

To Republicans, a community organizer is one of those angry black preachers who organize a protest march in response to police brutality. A community organizer is the radical responsible for getting a bunch of lunatic fringe hippies together to protest the Iraq war. A community organizer is somebody who gets migrant farm workers together to demand rights and benefits.

In short, a community organizer is some troublemaker on the fringes of society and way out of the mainstream. Which is exactly how they are trying to portray Obama – a dangerous (black) liberal who is way out of the mainstream.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

1. Spot on. nt.

[LiberalEsto]

2. They're thinking Al Sharpton nt

[NewJeffCT]

3. you're right

Al Sharpton - one of those uppity black troublemakers in their eyes.

[crispini]

4. Even Wonkette said it!

9:43 PM — Ha ha, community organizers help dirty negroes, but mayors of 6,000-population help white people.

http://wonkette.com/402518/liveblogging-famous-historical-war-leader-sarah-palin-at-the-rnc

[knitter4democracy]

5. I thought that, too, when I heard it on NPR this morning.

I refused to listen to more lies and s*** last night, but hearing that comment this morning made me think that's it's code for Black Panthers or something.

[Brotherjohn]

6. I agree completely. But my take on the "community organizer" thing is this:

If she want's to compare her experience as a mayor with Obama's as a community organizer, then okay. Let's start with that. She chose to do so. Maybe it's because her political experience before that was a part-time job on the town council of Cicely... I mean Wasilla, AK.

So after her time as mayor of a small town, her political exoperience has been: Governor... for a year and a half.

After Obama's time as a community organizer, his political experience has been: State Congressman for 8 years and a U.S. Senator for 3 1/2 years.

She downplay's his community organizer experience (and insults community organizations around the country), but totally ignores his 14 years of political experience since then.

[sammytko]

11. most mayors of small towns do not get a salary

This woman was paid 65K to be mayor of that very small town. Then she hired a city manager to do the job.....

Even San Antonio (over a million people} only pays 20 dollars a meeting...

[jhain]

7. yes, but

that is NOT what it means to the average American and ass kissing the base will not work anymore.

[Alter Ego]

8. Sarah Palin got up on stage last night and said "YEAH! FUCK POOR PEOPLE!"

[NewJeffCT]

12. that's not how Republicans see it, though

people who are community organizers are commies, radicals and all-around troublemakers along the lines of Al Sharpton, as pointed out above.

[Alter Ego]

23. I care more about how independents and moderates saw it

and the overarching reaction to it was "What the fuck is she on about?"

[Apollo11]

9. To Republican ears, it sounds kinda like "Communist Agitator"

They also probably feel that it's not a "real job" (as it's not about making money) - and therefore nothing to brag about ...

[NewJeffCT]

13. you're correct

Those damn founding fathers - bunch of agitators!

[4_Legs_Good]

10. Who gives a sh*t what it means to them!

What it means to Americans is something different. If they wants to diss on people helping communities on national television, they should reap the rewards of doing so.

They should be fed back a full slap in the face with their words.

David

[JBoy]

14. Community Organizer vs Mayor is the wrong comparison

I believe Sarah Palin's first job was sportscaster.

[enfield collector]

19. I thought it was "public sex object", i.e. beauty pagent contestant.

[nyhuskyfan]

15. The thing is...

Obama's work was church based. It would seem that this type of attack could backfire if it was spun in such a way as to appear that they are making fun on church work. That couldn't go over well with the base.

From Wikipidea: After four years in New York City, Obama moved to Chicago to work as a community organizer for three years from June 1985 to May 1988 as director of the Developing Communities Project (DCP), a church-based community organization originally comprising eight Catholic parishes in Greater Roseland (Roseland, West Pullman, and Riverdale) on Chicago's far South Side. During his three years as the DCP's director, its staff grew from 1 to 13 and its annual budget grew from $70,000 to $400,000, with accomplishments including helping set up a job training program, a college preparatory tutoring program, and a tenants' rights organization in Altgeld Gardens.

[Retrograde]

25. let's take back the code words: Obama's work was

faith-based. That's Neocon code for "church organizations we approve of": we need to turn their words back on them.

[calimary]

16. An outstanding point!!!

They always talk in some sort of code, anyway. Don't forget that.

They probably would have hated this guy Jesus Somebody, once upon a time.

[sammytko]

17. Was Ghandi a community organizer

what about Jesus???

[demo dutch]

18. GOP Community organizer = securing earmarks!!!

[NashVegas]

20. A Community Organizer Is Someone Who Helps Poor People Fight Environmental Racism / Classism

Like when the Country Club set wants to greenlight a chemical plant 1/4 mile away from neighborhoods of people earning less than $40k.

[CK_John]

21. They also think the same about teachers, smart people who can't get a real job. n/t

[Zynx]

22. That's their polite way of saying "Big City N*****"

[NewJeffCT]

24. correct

I'm sure they have people trolling the streets of Chicago looking for anybody that Obama helped that later got a ticket for anything worse than jaywalking.