Magazines Debate Palin Remark

September 08, 2008

Magazines Debate Palin Remark

Gov. Sarah Palin’s remarks about community organizers during the Republican National Convention last week continues to rile the nonprofit world, sparking a debate on The Chronicle’s Government and Politics Watch.

Partisan publications are also taking up the fight.

The liberal Nation magazine provides a thorough defense of community organizing, arguing it is a bedrock principle of American life dating back to the Boston Tea Party.

“At a convention whose theme was ‘service,’ GOP leaders ridiculed organizing, a vital kind of public service that involves leadership, tough decisions, and taking responsibility for the well-being of people often ignored by government,” says co-authors Peter Dreier, professor of political science at Occidental College, and John Atlas, president of the National Housing Institute.

The conservative Weekly Standard, however, says Ms. Palin was not insulting anyone.

“Sarah Palin wasn’t denigrating the work of community organizers,” writes Brian Faughnan, a Republican lobbyist, on the magazine’s blog. “She was simply making the point that it’s not something so utterly selfless and amazing that a presidential candidate would focus so much attention on it.”

What do you think? Join the debate here

— Ian Wilhelm

Comments

sarah palin has once again exposed the flaws in the republicans rhetoric. the republicans long denounce social programs as not the responsibility of government to provide, yet when community leaders step up to help their own neighbors, the republicans are quick to denounce these efforts as insignificant and not worthy of noting. it will be a sad day for sure when a politician like sarah palin occupies the office of vice president.

— steven gillis Sep 8, 02:58 PM #
go Steve! She appeared to be a bully and not totally honest in her comments. I think she doesn’t understand the true value of volunteers, service and most of the nonprofit community – yes there are, at times abuses, but most serve with humility and in the shadows making their communities better. what a difference our world would be without our volunteers and organizers

— plt Sep 8, 03:05 PM #
Steven – I couldn’t agree with you more!!!

— Shelly Papadopoulos Sep 8, 03:06 PM #
The real issue here is whether there is a point to asking people their opinion about all this. The only thing this will do is let some of you feel better to air your views. However just to add zest to the mix let it be said that I think Sarah Palin is a great choice and has much more experience than a community organizer. That does not demean community organizers its just she has experience that many are discounting.

— Mark Brooks Sep 8, 03:09 PM #
A good community organizer has a particular skill that our country desperately needs right how: the ability to get a disparate group of people to set aside their personal agendas and work together to solve larger problems that affect them all. That alone would go a long way to bringing about the change that has become the mantra of this political season.

— Kim Hawkins Sep 8, 03:10 PM #
I agree completely with Steven — it will be a sad day when a politician like Sarah Palin occupies the office of vice president.

— Pat Sep 8, 03:12 PM #
It is too bad that Sarah Palin used her debut on the national political stage to denigrate community organizers, whoever they may be. To me it demonstrates her lack of judgment and raises concerns about her ability to occupy that office. Imagine, once the VP, what she will do on the international scene.

— Michael A. Scott Sep 8, 03:22 PM #
We need to remember this was aimed at Barack Obama only. He was a community organizer for the lawsuit plagued group, “ACORN,” known widely for illegal activities involving voter registration. This was not a slam at all community volunteers. Sarah Palin is a breath of fresh air.

— David Kremer Sep 8, 03:23 PM #
denigrate community organizers? Give me a break. The statement that a community organizer is qualified to be vice president is absurd. That was her point. While they do good works, that doesn’t mean they are qualified to run a major corporation, a state or a country.

— Mike Sep 8, 03:34 PM #
I agree with Mr. Gillis’ comments. As a community organizer myself, it infuriates me to no end to hear these people who have done nothing to help anyone but themselves hurl such lies and insults. They can’t denegrate Senator Obama for his military service (like they did with Kerry) so they chose to denegrate his community organizing work—not to mention his amazing mobilization efforts and success in terms volunteers and supporters that I don’t think this country has ever seen. It’s a big problem for the republicans so the “swiftboating” this time must be dirtier than ever. It wasn’t just Ms. Palin who made those insulting and dishonest comments, Giuliani did as well. No wonder the citizens of New York City despise him. He could have learned a thing or two from Sen. Obama’s organizing. The hypocrisy is never ending.

— Fabiana Sep 8, 03:40 PM #
I hate to spoil your “republicans suck” mutual admiration society, but, it is obvious you missed the point of Palin’s comment.

Community organizers like me and Obama accomplish our goals through influence rather than direct decision-making.

The organizer is more of a consultant with no real or imagined authority to drectly change anything within the community. That is the difference between the community work performed by an elected official like a mayor and the community work performed by a NGO. The mayor has actual legal responsibilities within the community (with direct accountability). The community organizer does not.

Palin was clarifying the primary difference between an elected community official and a volunteer NGO. While a mayor and a community organizer are valuable resources within our communities, they are anything but equivalent in responsibility or accountability.

Let drop the faux moral indignation please. 99% of the uproar over Palin’s comment is due to her “insolent” challenge to Obama’s street creds. Ouch! She must have hit a nerve.

— Robert Kornegay Sep 8, 03:45 PM #
As a community organizer I did not take offense to Senator Palin’s comment. The work we do is with out a doubt vital but does not qualify me for the Presidency. My sense is that this is what Ross Perot referred to as “Gorilla Dust”. Gorillas at the beginning of a fight throw dirt into the air to distract their opponent. We need to focus to the issues not the “Gorilla Dust”!

— Joe Sep 8, 03:58 PM #
Well, for Palin’s defenders, let’s break it down. You seem focused on the issue of whether being a community organizer “qualifies” a person to be president. If that was the only thing on a person’s resume, it doesn’t. But for someone running for President/Vice President with the levels of government experience of either Senator Obama or Governor Palin, having been a community organizer at one stage in their career certainly isn’t a mock-worthy qualification. In fact, given that community organizers work within the ranks of, and not allied with big money corporations in opposition to, marginalized citizens of this country, it probably qualifies someone even more. Though I suppose nuanced perspective and advocating for the rights of marginalized peoples isn’t really on your radar if you’re a Palin fan. Perhaps you’re more concerned with advocating for your rights to shoot wolves from airplanes, in which case we just have a cognitive disconnect.

— Leora Sep 8, 04:00 PM #
I think Joe is right. Unfortunately, this “gorilla dust” is all too effective at distracting us from the issues that really matter like the economy, education, global warming — all issues where Sarah Palin’s resume is REALLY thin!!

— Martha Sep 8, 04:07 PM #
Everyone in this discussion thus far seems to have missed the reason she and Rudy Guiliani made the comments in the first place. Liberals on the media talk circuit were not talking about her as the current Governor of Alaska, but instead referring to her as Sarah Palin, the “ex-Mayor of a small town in Alaska”. To make such a reference is akin to referring to Obama as an “ex-community organizer” instead of a sitting U.S. Senator. Her particular reference was right on, in that she said that her job as a mayor of a small town was like a community organizer, except that she had actual responsibilities. She was simply responding to her critics.

— MSK Sep 8, 04:24 PM #
The people I know who thought Ms. Palin’s speech was so inspiring are also mean spirited individuals who build their self-esteem through the denigration of others. Barack Obama and Joe Biden do not have to stoop to such a pathetic level to have credibility. Sarah Palin is a nightmare waiting to happen for anyone who has ever felt marginalized or disenfranchised for any reason. Thank goodness for volunteers!

— Anne Sep 8, 04:27 PM #
Nice one, Leora. When you can’t hold up your end of the discussion, the next best thing is an ad hominem attack about shooting wolves from airplanes. I don’t know you, Leora, but I’m disappointed.

— Robert Kornegay Sep 8, 04:28 PM #
Sarah Palin’s nothing but a bully – very much like the VP we currently have. And it was not just her comment on community organizers – look at her actions in her public life in Alaska.

— Patti G. Sep 8, 04:30 PM #
If she was trying to make the point that simply being a mayor or governor means you’re more qualified to be on the Pres/VP ticket than a community organizer, then she ineffective at making that point. Because here we are discussing her insulting remarks but still don’t know what her qualifications are. We just know she wears lipstick.

— Jane Sep 8, 04:49 PM #
‘Mea culpa’ for thinking that that annoying sanctimoniousness was only allowed in VP nomination acceptance speeches.

The debate appears to be which responsibilities are somehow valid and qualifying for the weight of the positions for which candidates are vying. People have said this takes our attention away from the issues. I strongly disagree.

It’s true that advocating against Measure 2 (for those not in the know, legislation which would have made it illegal to shoot wolves and bears from airplanes) and spending $400,000 of public money to do so was one of Governor Palin’s decisions which qualifies her to be a VP candidate. Though one could just as easily talk about her crusade to slash funding for teen moms, or her efforts while mayor to actually ban books at the public library.

You’re absolutely right that this genre of ‘executive decision’ can’t even be compared with the work of Senator Obama when he was helping people advocate for their rights on issues of housing and unemployment.

If Palin’s going to denigrate an admirable career in public service in favor of the type of ‘responsibility’ she has exercised while as mayor or governor, her (often ridiculous) record is fair game.

— Leora Sep 8, 05:18 PM #
Not only was her speech written for her and so it was Republicans that thought Sen Obama’s community organizing experience was lightweight. I think the Republicans also used that experience as cod word for a constituency base that does not look like them—poor, Black, Hispanic. Shame on the Repubicans.

— Dee.Brown, Rochester, NY Sep 8, 09:16 PM #
It’s fine if they say that a ‘Community Organiser’ does not have the qualifications to be president, but then someone whose qualifications are that she is a hockey mom, mother of 5 does? If she has experience other than this, lets hear about it! I’m tired of hearing about how being a mom is a qualification. I am a mother, and while I feel it has developed certain skills, I am not putting it on my resume.

— Kristin Sep 9, 09:20 AM #
Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah! Enough! Let’s all get to work and raise some funds to help people!

— Mark Brooks Sep 9, 09:44 AM #
RNC theme on night two (Tuesday): “Service Above Self”

RNC theme on night three (Wednesday): Belittling Obama’s background in community service.

I think the facts and contradictions speak for themselves.

— JP Sep 9, 10:16 AM #
I may be mistaken, but doesn’t a member of PTA qualify as being a community organizer? Time to move on to matters that move my organization forward…thank you all for your thoughts.

— Tara Collins Sep 9, 12:54 PM #
Obama worked as a community organizer in 1985 between college and law school. In 1985, Palin had just won the Miss Wasilla beauty pageant the year before.

Interesting point of comparison. Still, what should actually matter is what they’ve done since then.

— Katie Sep 10, 06:28 PM #
Initially, I was outraged at the comment. Not because it denigrated Obama, but because Palin explicitly stated that community organizers have no real responsibilities. Tell that to the people we work with everyday. It is just not true and perpetuates a hideous stereotype.

But I realized this type of sarcastic jab is what those who have no positive message of their own do. When you cannot brag about your own accomplishments (because they are few and far between) simply attack some of the strengths of your opponent. I just wish more people in this country would see through that type of rhetoric.

— Julie Sep 11, 12:17 PM #

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