'What in God's name is a community organizer?'

Here's an article by Peter Dreier & John Atlas in The Nation today, describing how former New York Governor George Pataki referred to Barack Obama at the Republican National Convention:

'He was a community organizer. What in God's name is a community organizer? I don't even know if that's a job.'

Then former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani delivered his own snickering hit job. 'He worked as a community organizer. What? Maybe this is the first problem on the resumé,' mocked Giuliani.

A few minutes later, in her acceptance speech for the GOP vice presidential nomination, Sarah Palin declared, 'I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a community organizer, except that you have actual responsibilities.'

One of the responses of the Obama camp was:

'Let's clarify something for them right now. Community organizing is how ordinary people respond to out-of-touch politicians and their failed policies.'

One doesn't like to see politics so crudely polarised, but still, if the republicans end up in opposition because of such a crass attitude I would find it so reassuring.

Comments

[Will Davies]

Kevin - there's a more sinister interpretation in this post:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/9/4/02739/39108