"They're talking about the three years of work that I did right out of college as if I'm making the leap from two or three years out of college into the presidency."

Kinda like how the Obama campaign criticized Sarah Palin's experience as mayor while ignoring her present role as governor.

I expect that kind of double standard from Republicans, not Obama.

But John McCain was a POW for five years. He didn't have kitchen tables, an iPod much less an iPhone, and he certainly didn't have any community organizers working with him. Why do other people need them?

Seriously though, when trying to talk about policies, we Democrats often invoke appeals to emotion to make our case. This sometimes involve what other people call "class warfare." Except for what's said on the fringes--as in, not this blog--it's never really gotten out of control.

What the Republicans are doing now, on the other hand, is another story entirely. They are simply making shit up, and being particularly nasty about it in the process. Since they have been running on virtually nothing else, I have to imagine it's going to backfire, even just a little, before November.

Right on the money. Very good answer.

But beautiful, man. This is why I love this guy. When they mock community organizers, they knock union organizers, political organizers, neighborhood organizers. They know everybody everywhere who is working with a community to improve the lives of it's citizens. Yes, let us hear more from the party of Christian values that mock those who would do work to help others. To feed them, clothe them, shelter them, and minister to them. For I say unto you, if you have done it for the least of these thy brethren, you have done it for me...

It is pretty compelling to watch someone think as they speak. I've yet to see that from McCain or Palin.

Palin blames Democrat (supporters) and by proxy the Obama Campaign for spreading lies and misinformation!

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jrhFOsVwX9jtDyUhy3zKCBVms8tgD9307CM80

Oh my god the gall is just unbearable. After all of the lies, distortions and misinformation in her speeches, it's time again for the Republicans to play the victim.

Wow this is sad.

Kinda like how the Obama campaign criticized Sarah Palin's experience as mayor while ignoring her present role as governor.

I know, I mean, how could they ignore her role as CiC of the Alaskan National Guard?!?!?!?

Better friggin trolls, please.

Grumpy: his statement was accurate, your reaction betrays a certain sensitivity to the most horribly unqualified VP in history. Or at least since Agnew.

Obama was all class and it was a wonderful, thoughtful statement.

Mocking such essential work is heinous--it belittles every worthy Christian aid organization as well.

um, grumpy....her present role as governor of the "largest state in the union" doesn't qualify her to be ........ the governor of the "largest state in the union", much less vice president.

What the Repugs really mean:
community organizer = ghetto black

The last line of the article dk references...
She did not take questions from reporters.
How long will she hide from the press?

Obama's answer is a good one... for us who already support him and read blogs. It'd be nice if it were pithier and zingier, so it'd make a stronger impression on those barely paying attention.

I saw something (without a link) claiming that Team McCain's not going to have her do *any* press appearances. Any truth to that?

part of the reason Obama may win this thing is on shear class. i mean the guy goes on record saying families are off limits and even reminds people that his own mother was a teen mother and what does Palin do? She doesn't even for a minute acknowlege that Obama was a gentleman. She was all hard edges. It doesn't play well if that's your first impression.

Very good response Barack!

May I point out that Palin left out the irresponsible parts of her community organizing as mayor of Wasilla. He wants credit for the "responsibility" part but sure as hell doesn't want the press to focus on her irresponsible injecting of an extreme ideology and bullying tactics into her small home town. There is a difference between community organizing and community destroying. Not surprising that republicans don't know the difference.

Some good journalist is going to be putting all this into a blockbuster expose. Palin, living in such a fragile glass house will shatter her own ceiling, walls, windows, doors and floors.

Let the tribalist babies have their convention and get the hell out of St Paul, so I can get to work on time.
I'm halfass getting at this: Don't mock Barack because he's the mock master! You'll lose.
Notice the Sunday show lineups. Someone, SOMEONE is conspicuously absent.
I'm lovin' it. 60 days.

Is it too soon to start talking up the fact that Obama and Biden are campaigning as statesmen and grown ups, while their opponents look like immature clowns?

As Nicole Belle pointed out earlier today at C&L, a community organizer is simply one of the "thousand points of light" exalted by George Bush Sr. not all that long ago.

I suspect that fact alone will suffice to discredit Palin's snotty attack.

Obama minimized Palin's time as mayor and didn't even acknowledge that she is a governor. Seems like criticizing his alleged experience was fair game.

Kinda like how the Obama campaign criticized Sarah Palin's experience as mayor while ignoring her present role as governor.

To be fair, Palin was still mayor of Wasilla 18 months ago. Obama was a community organizer 20 years ago. If we're going to be comparing what people were doing fresh out of college, wasn't Palin a TV sports broadcaster while Obama was a community organizer?

IN my previous comment:
I meant to write "She" instead of "He" so it is She wants credit for the "responsibility" part

marcus,

Did Obama really mention that his own mother was a teenager? I'd like some proof, because when I talk about the guy having class, as he certainly does, I'd like to point them to something specific.

Since community organization is such a negative activity, what does this say about the Pastor Rick Warren and his mission at Saddleback Church? I'd love to hear his response to the denigration of this sort of work. Of course, he is not running for POTUS or VPOTUS, but he hosted the top 2 candidates, so that may make him one as well, using the "Alaska is close to Russia" meme. As I understand it, Saddleback Church has a huge community outreach ministry. I wonder what his parrisioners think and feel about their candidate, John McCain, and his Soul Mate, dissing what they do?
What BS this is turning out to be. Part of me hopes Obama maintains the high ground; another part of me hopes he rips these Christofascists to Kingdom Come.

peace,
st john

It's the DEFINITION of sexist to not allow a woman to speak for herself. I don't think I have heard an unscripted word from Sarah Palin. Surrogates do all her speaking; she lip synchs. And that she allows it to happen shows you a lot about what she believes with regard to a woman's secondary role.
She is detestable.

Obama minimized Palin's time as mayor and didn't even acknowledge that she is a governor. Seems like criticizing his alleged experience was fair game.

Obama's campaign has acknowledged on several occasions that she's the Governor.

Experience? Did you watch the clip at all? Obama did not make the jump in 2 years from community organizer to Presidential nominee. Palin, by contrast, has made the jump in 2 years from small-town mayor to VP nominee. Do you think the mayor of your town could step in as president in 2 years?

Please, don't get stuck on stupid.

Thanks.

Community organizers = thousand points of light.

@ Brian

Obama said :" "Let me be as clear as possible," Obama said. "I think people's families are off-limits, and people's children are especially off-limits. This shouldn't be part of our politics. It has no relevance to Gov. Palin's performance as governor or her potential performance as a vice president."

Obama said reporters should "back off these kinds of stories" and noted that he was born to an 18-year-old mother."

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/01/obama.palin/?iref=mpstoryview

This is the difference between a talking point and what I would call a hyperlink.

Think about this. Obama is much like a massively hyperlinked document. Most politicians are just a series of nice sounding phrases strung together, but for Obama, these phrases are links to other documents.

The problem is that his opponents read the text and never hit the link to see what pops up. They are really land mines for his opponents. They perceive them as thin gruel and mock them.

Once someone steps on a mine, he explodes with a complete, fully formed response.

This is why he is so dangerous. His opponents keep activating these hyperlinks and everyone gets to see the result.

Seemingly decades ago he said: "Just words?"

Was that a warning or a provocation?

Click at your own peril!

Thanks, Buffalonian.

Obama often prefaces his answers with, "I would argue that..." and then presents a very lawyer-ly and stale, but accurate and (sometimes) slyly biting, response. I wonder if he would be more effective taking a more active voice in his campaign responses. Wouldn't have,
"I spent three years doing work in the community, trying to create jobs, bringing people together, rejuvenating communities that have fallen on hard times, and setting up job training programs in areas that have been hard hit when the steel plants closed. That's relevant to understanding where I'm coming from, who I believe in, who I'm fighting for and why I'm in this race. Why would that kind of work be ridiculous?"

Now, it's awfully easy to edit a speech after the fact, but the fact is his instinctive rhetorical framing is that of a trial lawyer, not a politician. Would changing this approach help him appear stronger, or would it step on what an earlier poster termed, "class?"

Community organizers = thousand points of light.
or,
Community organizers = negroes/plebes with voices

depends, eh? again, tribalist babies.

They are proud of their ignorance aren't they?

This: Obama minimized Palin's time as mayor and didn't even acknowledge that she is a governor. is just insane. Literally pig-ignorant.

He's attacking Palin on her record as Governor. The campaign has noted, extensively, of her support of the Bridge to Nowhere (and her lies about rejecting the money), they have shown how she's stretching the truth with her claims that drilling will help Americans (it will help oil companies), they have pointed out that as Governor she took money from the oil companies. They have mentioned, on occasion, that she is currently under investigation over improperly using her power as Governor to fire a guy who wouldn't fire her ex brother-in-law.

Next you'll say that its unfair that they are criticizing her record as Governor (and her previously elected position as mayor because she's a woman.

part of the reason Obama may win this thing is on shear class. i mean the guy goes on record saying families are off limits and even reminds people that his own mother was a teen mother and what does Palin do? She doesn't even for a minute acknowlege that Obama was a gentleman. She was all hard edges. It doesn't play well if that's your first impression.

Wow. I did not even think of this point. A simple thank you from the right would have been a breath of fresh air, a show of good faith (something that Obama has done time and time again).

I've heard the term cynical thrown around regarding the McCain campaign - and I didn't necessarily believe it. I honestly thought it was the wrong word choice. I thought the McCain campaign wasn't cynical, just ass-backwards, confused and scrambling for votes. But now I know they are cynical, since I didn't expect a thank you from Gov Palin -WHEN I SHOULD HAVE. That's cynical. They exude cynicism. I should expect common courtesy for someone that goes out of their way. Whether they are strangers, friends, neighbors or opponents in general elections. Courtesy is what makes the civilized world, well civilized. It's just the right thing to do. Now I know republicans have no concept of class, courtesy or basic values -other than the "values" they'd like to hammer into our homes and make law. The entire party is out of touch - even with common courtesy. Obama camp hit this one right.

This will be a good two months.

This actually proves that some Republicans are elitists. They always have the top down approach and therefore are more interested in the business community than regular folks. Community organizers and community workers are doing things that mayors and Governors do not do and filling in the holes left by government neglect. The only time mayors or Governors show up in communities - such as the ones Obama worked in - are when they are trying to get votes.

Whenever I think Obama's impressed me as much as any politician ever could, he does it more. I so admire his ability to maintain his cool and magnanimity in the face of moronic, mendacious crap that's thrown at him every day. He's the epitome of class, and level-headed intelligence, and I can't wait for his inauguration as President.

Let's play a game. Let's think of people who were community organizers. Then let's see if we can imagine making fun of them for it:

1. As someone observed and was linked to by Steve: Jesus.

2. Martin Luther King

3. Mahatma Gandhi

4. Nelson Mandela

part of the reason Obama may win this thing is on shear class. i mean the guy goes on record saying families are off limits and even reminds people that his own mother was a teen mother and what does Palin do? She doesn't even for a minute acknowlege that Obama was a gentleman. She was all hard edges. It doesn't play well if that's your first impression.

How classy is that? A typical politician would have let Richardson dangle in the wind, delighting in the embarrassment suffered by a rival. No one saw Obama; no one was judging whether he helped out or not. Letting Richardson fall flat would have been cost free. But here's the thing -- Barack Obama is honestly interested in a real, substantive, meaningful debate. He's not just talking the talk; he really does want civility restored to our political discourses. So he threw Richardson a lifeline.

That's when I decided I would be voting for, and donating to, Barack Obama.

Yes, Jesus was a community organizer and Pontius Pilate was a Governor.

There was another President Bush who got in and out of Iraq with minimal losses while setting the stage for the defanging of Saddam. He assembled a grand alliance, and even got the Saudis and Japanese to foot the bill. He had a few things to say about community organizers (with help from Peggy Noonan, before she cashed in her character at the WSJ):

"I have spoken of a thousand points of light, of all the community organizations that are spread like stars throughout the Nation, doing good. We will work hand in hand, encouraging, sometimes leading, sometimes being led, rewarding. We will work on this in the White House, in the Cabinet agencies. I will go to the people and the programs that are the brighter points of light, and I will ask every member of my government to become involved. The old ideas are new again because they are not old, they are timeless: duty, sacrifice, commitment, and a patriotism that finds its expression in taking part and pitching in."

With the emergence of the McCain/Stalin ticket last night, the GOP is finished as any kind of positive force in American society.

Obama is a cool head. We are sending our first donation tomorrow to his campaign. Shame on John McCain for pandering to the religious right and lying about Obama.

I wonder why Obama doesn't point out that he was helping steelworkers *like Todd Palin*.

They'll keep attacking "community organizers" because to that crowd, it's code for "rabble-rousing N-ers." Sad but true.

I worry about people who are closed minded and can't rationalize through arguements because of the hatred within which they find themselves stuck. Go out and find the answers out for yourselves. Each candidate's record is on-line for all of you to read and analyze for yourselves. I urge you to stop listening to others and learn the truth for yourselves. The garbage I have read on this thread scares me more than anything either candidate has stated about themselves or the other. You all should be ashamed of what you have said here. Attacks and rhetoric; exagerated claims used to find something significant to which we can argue for a position whether true or not. I am tired of it. I am tired of it from both parties. Your ignorance is as clear as your hatred. Where is the love you profess to exist at the foundation of your philosophies? It is not here in this thread.

Lets remember that while Obama was a community organizer helping people who were losing everything because of plant closings, continuing his education at Harvard Law and was President of the Harvard Law Review, Palin was entering beauty pageants.

While Obama was serving 12 years in the Illinois state senate, Palin was in the PTA and was a hockey mom.

While Obama was serving as a United States Senator, Palin was mayor over a 2 red light town and then Governor of state with a smaller population than most big cities that is supported with government and oil company money.

While Obama received 18 million votes in the primary to become the presidential nominee, Palin received one vote to become the vice presidential nominee.

See the difference?

Community organizer = inner city, and the realities there.

The suburbs and small towns are what the Republicans are after, and, somehow, the Democratic Party is going to have to convince the people who live there that they really connect with, and understand, their problems.

If Obama loses, the Democratic Party must realign itself, more in the manner of Jim Webb, or face many more years in the wilderness.

Community organizer = inner city

The suburbs and small towns are where the votes are, and, somehow, the Democratic Party is going to have to convince the people who live there that they understand their problems.

If Obama loses, the Democratic Party must realign itself, more in the manner of Jim Webb, or face more years in the wilderness. The entire heartland of America is solid red -- an absurd situation that has to end.

Sarah Palin is so prepared to be Vice President that she can't be trusted to answer any policy questions whatsoever. She's got to go study. Apparently, her time as a sports reporter 20 years ago really didn't make her qualified to be VP after all.

Mnem: "To be fair, Palin was still mayor of Wasilla 18 months ago."

Incorrect. Palin's term as mayor ended in 2002. After that, she became a member of the Alaska Oil & Gas Conservation Commission. She resigned from that job after accusing another commissioner (the state GOP chairman) of doing party business on the public dime. She was not in public office when she ran for governor in 2006. Just to be clear.

One of the Obama campaign's earliest responses to the Palin selection was to criticize her term as mayor as if that was her sole qualification. I thought that was tacky at the time, and doubly tacky now that Obama is accusing Republicans of doing the same thing (which they are).

Yes, Obama has also attacked Palin's record as governor -- just as McCain has attacked Obama's record as a senator.

The clip shows that he clearly goofed and said "work I did three years ago." Hence the "[20]" in the text.

These are the slips Obama is more likely to make on the fly. Also, his delivery on camera is weaker than the impact of the lines on the page. Seems like he realizes his slip when he repeats "three years of work that I did right out of college," and gets distracted by it. Watch for this in the weeks to come, especially around debate time. McCain has a rep for speaking better off the cuff than on the teleprompter, and Obama worse. Hate to see that change the dynamic.

Ah, after four days of that GOP nonsense, it's so good to hear from somebody who makes actual sense, whose arguments aren't completely founded on ideological zeal and false rhetoric, and who can speak in complete, coherent, forceful sentences — without a script!

It's striking how utterly outclassed McCain/Palin are by Obama/Biden. It's not even close.

The P.O.W gravy train is over.He is like Rambo single hand destroying the evil army.Being caught is no excuse me keep beating this drum ok you got honor but at what point is it bragging.I have family war hero and the a little batty .My dad is a vet a little batty but i love him and if i heard him say i am a war hero every time anybody ask him anything , i would be batty.He said the same three thing he plus i am a war hero!

Wasn't Palin coming in 2nd in one of those pageants 20 years ago, or was she busy getting married before her bump began to show?

Isn't Wasilla the meth capital?

Isn't teen-pregnancy rampant there?

I think that community needs some re-organizing.

She won't be on Sunday talk shows. This is the presidency. Even Obama was on O'Reilly last night.

I think the had better cozy up to the press real fast. They are the only ones who can go on record to rebut some of the ugly rumors about her and her family.

Uhhh, Grumpy?

"Kinda like how the Obama campaign criticized Sarah Palin's experience as mayor while ignoring her present role as governor.

Ummm, no.

Obama was a community organizer 20 YEARS ago.
Palin was the mayor of a tiny town in the middle of nowhere 20 MONTHS ago.

And they don't ignore her time as Governor, but she has less than 2 years under her belt in one of the least populous states in the entire country as the capping point on a resume of 25 years of doing NOTHING that qualifies her to be VP. Obama on the other hand has two and a half decades of building his qualifications under his belt. Some of which he ran through the list of there in his response.

There is a wee bit of difference there Grumpy.

Thanks Grant. I was going to respond to Grumpy, but you took the words outta my mouth.

Have a great weekend!

Palin was not just attacking Obama, but disparaging all community organizers. Here is a petition if anyone is interested:

http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/community_organizers/?r=1426&id=807-871180-stov9Xx

I have my Masters in Social Work with a concentration in Community Organizing from the University of Pittsburgh. The main crux of my work, after school, was focused in community/ economic development. I was initially appalled by the comments made at the Republican Convention, but after felt at ease with their assaults on my profession. It shows their elitist mentality and the fact that they are not in-touch with common, working families struggling in the Bush economy. These assaults will only help the Democrats win the election.

I have my Masters in Social Work with a concentration in Community Organizing from the University of Pittsburgh. The main crux of my work, after school, was focused in community/ economic development. I was initially appalled by the comments made at the Republican Convention, but after felt at ease with their assaults on my profession. It shows their elitist mentality and the fact that they are not in-touch with common, working families struggling in the Bush economy. These assaults will only help the Democrats win the election.

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uebz gevpbszo tgxpznlrm wmun vkcgura cgdqwv hvbktum

@tomj

i like your thinking.
here's a succinct version i came up with.

john mccain is analog as barack obama is digital.

you best get yourself set for the switch...otherwise you're gonna get left behind in the 20th century.