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Republicans Hit New Low By Denigrating Community Organizing |
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My jaw nearly hit the floor. I was watching Rudy Giuliani speak Wednesday night at the RNC, and he was laying it on Obama thick and heavy, as would be expected. But he ruthlessly attacked Obama’s record in a way that I never anticipated. He ridiculed the field of community organizing.
It was a bizarre moment. He was talking about McCain’s POW experience, and then he compared it to the time Obama spent working as a community organizer on the streets of Chicago. When the words “community organizer” left Giuliani’s lips, he laughed awkwardly. Then, he paused for a few seconds to allow the audience to laugh. He then repeated the words “community organizer” and laughed again, as if it were the most ridiculous and most unpatriotic thing a young man could choose to do with his life. Giuliani even insinuated that the experience helped Obama make ties with organized crime.
I was floored again during Sarah Palin’s speech as she repeated the slam on the field of community organizing. I wonder if the Republicans even know what community organizing is. Here’s a good definition: Â
Community organizing is a long-term approach where the people affected by an issue are supported in identifying problems and taking action to achieve solutions. The organizer challenges those he or she works with to change the way things are—it is a means of achieving social change through collective action by changing the balance of power. The tactics and strategies employed by the organizer are similar to the processes of leadership including timing the issue, deliberate planning, getting the attention of the populace, framing the issue in terms of the desired solution, and shaping the terms of the decision-making process.
Hmmm …   Community organizing seems to be a process through which people are empowered to take action to solve their own problems. It’s about developing leadership, planning, and making decisions.  The Republicans have tried to frame Obama as a “tax-and-spend” liberal who wants to run around giving government handouts to people. But it looks as if community organizing is about giving people a hand-up, not a hand-out. It’s about giving people the opportunities to make their own success.Â
It sounds quite Republican, doesn’t it? In fact, the central narrative of change that the Republicans have been trying to project at their convention is basically community organizing done on a national scale. Perhaps the GOP should do its homework before it attacks an entire field of people who are dedicating their lives to doing the kind of work that the Republicans claim that they are for. What a bunch of hypocrites!
Can you say “Thousand Points of Light?” George HW Bush spent three paragraphs of his inaugural address specifically praising community organizing. But, hey, in the era of the son, and Karl Rove, and John McSame. . . and now Sarah Palin. . . anything goes if it scores a political point.
I don’t think this works, and it makes Giuliani, Palin and the R party look small. Reminds me of Obama’s point–they want to make a big election about small things, like getting cheap laughs from a partisan crowd by ridiculing your opponent. maybe I’m blanking, but I can’t recall Obama, Biden, Clinton or other leaders denigrating and mocking McCain’s experience. There is a difference between legitimate criticism and playground insults, and the Republicans often seem to end up on the playground insult side of the line.
Wow Jim, I really agree about this being a total cheap shot. I’m pretty appalled by how Republicans scoff at the idea of bottom-up change. What a great point of criticism, though. I’ll keep reading!
Palin and Giuliani’s comments were an insult to the American people who serve their communities. I don’t think I’ve seen the argument better framed. Thanks.