I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a `community organizer,’ except that you have actual responsibilities.- I might add that in small towns, we don't quite know what to make of a candidate who lavishes praise on working people when they are listening, and then talks about how bitterly they cling to their religion and guns when those people aren't listening. We tend to prefer candidates who don't talk about us one way in Scranton and another way in San Francisco."
- “This is a man who has authored two memoirs but not one major law. This is a man who can give an entire speech about the wars America is fighting and never say the word victory except when he’s talking about his own campaign.”
- “But when the cloud of rhetoric has passed … when the roar of the crowd fades away … when the stadium lights go out, and those Styrofoam Greek columns are hauled back to some studio lot - what exactly is our opponent’s plan? What does he actually seek to accomplish, after he’s done turning back the waters and healing the planet? The answer is to make government bigger … take more of your money … give you more orders from Washington … and to reduce the strength of America in a dangerous world.
- “That luxury jet was over the top. I put it on E-bay.”
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Thursday, September 4, 2008
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4 comments:
You know what pisses me off? The fact that these politicians look down on the people that really make a difference in their communities? What the hell is wrong with you people?
A community organizer helped feed my mother when my family needed it, and a community organizer helped give me a shot at getting my MBA. You low-life creeps are ridiculous. McCain and Ghouliani; what a great example of family values, and the old politics of Washington. How long has it been since they got their hands dirty? Dan, I'm not sure how you grew up, but if you've never had a chance to see an organizer work, I'm sorry for you. And I'm not talking about political organizing. Thats bs. I'm talking about the kind of work that impacts real people, that you have to touch and talk to everyday.
Obviously, you feel strongly about this. And I can understand that.
But it falls to Obama to explain exactly what a "community organizer" does. It's not a term that ordinary Americans are necessarily conversant with.
As for the way I "grew up," it was in a two-parent working class household in a row home in Camden. My mother worked all her life in a sweatshop pushing coats through sewing machines, covered with lint at the end of every day. It was grueling work. Grueling. She was a proud member of the ILGWU (Int'l. Ladies Garment Workers Union).
My father had the fancy title of "custodian" but he was basically a janitor. And yes, he scrubbed toilets. I watched him do it. But he was proud of himself and his work no matter what he did.
We were a Democrat family when being a Democrat really meant something -- in the days of Truman and Stevenson and Kennedy. This, I share with Peggy Noonan and so many others of ethnic and working class origin.
I was the first in my family to graduate from college. I spent five years working in the inner city teaching underprivileged elementary school children. I poured my heart and soul into the job. I'm passionate about most anything I choose to tackle.
Rudy Giuliani (and I resent the liberties you took with his name) grew up in a household much like mine. If my parents had known his parents I'm sure they would have gotten along just fine.
Please don't presume to lecture me about working people. And cut the senseless name-calling.
I stand on the shoulders of giants.
And, by the way: Before my parents passed on they both voted twice for Reagan and for George H. W. Bush. Obviously, they weren't the only ones.
Thank you for you candor. I really do appreciate your story; your parents, I'm sure, are proud of you. And they have every reason to be. I know you, as personally as a student can.
As far as name-calling goes, the practice is a double-edged sword. Oh!man gets under my skin too, although your resons for calling him that name are clear. I just think that Oh!man may be a compliment.
We have differences in our opinions, that much is clear. And when it comes to candidates, everyone picks a side. But what I cannot stomach is when in their haste to reach the Office, politicians sneer at real people. Palin is a giant now, and she does come from humble roots, with good intentions in her on way. But so do most people that enter politics. I've said this before: I'd vote a turtle into office if it had the right ideas. But politics always corrupt. Always. To that end, an inner-city school teacher has more integrity than Obama, McCain and all of the rest. If I'm honest, I'm at a cross-road in life. I love business, and all that comes with that. But I also love to help. I'm still deciding what I want in life. But I tell you this: nothing is going to get me out of my seat faster than another politican downplaying the inner-city teacher or worker that touches people like my parents, and yours. And I think I'm not alone.
Well said.
Remember: You can love business and be in business AND "love to help" and actually help others all at the same time.
These are not necessarily at odds.
Also, I've known tons of politicians over the years and I'll tell you this: Politics doesn't HAVE to corrupt. I've known some pretty honest politicians who I've been proud to work for.
Work hard, stay positive, pursue your dreams and hold fast to your ideals.
And, as always, I'll be happy to help in any way I can.
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