Comments on: Community Organizing is Social Media

By: ProudOldLefty

ProudOldLefty — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 14:15:02 +0000

Jake – I think you're right on the money, if you're saying that social media, social networking, Web 2.0, whatever you want to call it, will foster even more impact from groups – both large and small. Social networking online is almost the ultimate equalizer, yet also the ultimate test of democracy. It will cut both ways, giving rise to both more cabalization while also enabling even greater transparency in all walks of life, including business and politics. It will also make it easier to organize. Witness Barack Obama's amazing online and mobile technology use, that has acted as the engine to his campaign.

And I am a lefty. And highly insulted by the Republicans. The spin from them now is that we – the “lefties” just don't get it: either don't get the “joke” – hahahaha – or don't “get” that Giuliani and Palin weren't denigrating community organizers….oh, no…just that Obama should not use his experience, etc etc as another commenter here tried to spin it. But, as you rightly pointed out, and as the actual speeches show, that's not what was said, or implied. With speechwriters as good as they had, you'd think they could have been clearer to just call Obama out on HIS experience. But they didn't have the balls to do that. So they resorted to insulting a whole, general group of very noble, hardworking, selfless people, community organizers.

Nice to see you slap your commenters down, too, when they try to spin.

http://www.community-organizer.com

By: San Antonio Lawyer

San Antonio Lawyer — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 07:37:16 +0000

Very nicely done. Good job.

By: David Flores

David Flores — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 20:41:43 +0000

I thought the same thing. You'll get trolled for your statement, but they're the ones that don't get it. Organizing people and getting them involved is actually one of the higher forms of democracy (small d intended). After all, without a public that's involved and engaged, there's no chance of governing anyone, which would make the job of governors moot. Then again, the GOP enjoys running for an elected position much more than it does governing an electorate.

By: Jake McKee

Jake McKee — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:07:49 +0000

By the way, watch the clip yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mAAxCg2CC4

Rudy says "He worked as a community organizer", crowd laughs.

By: Jake McKee

Jake McKee — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:00:33 +0000

Sadly, you didn't feel bold enough about your discussion to leave a real name which speaks volumes to your point.

I'm no "leftie", but that doesn't matter really. That's not the issue here. Community organizing isn't a joke, nor is Obama's experience with it as it relates to his OVERALL experience. I really don't want to take this too political, but if he was doing this YESTERDAY that'd be one thing. But this was years ago and speaks to how he thinks and approaches problems, not what he has been doing. He has 4 years in the national Senate and 11 years in the Illinois state senate. Let's not pretend that he's just fallen off some potatoe truck.

Besides that, while the spin of that sad, sad moment at the RNC might be that people were simply laughing at the experience in relation to the position, I think we all know better than that.

But that's enough on the political side. Let's get back to the discussion of how this relations to online and offline community building.

By: Jake McKee

Jake McKee — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:55:51 +0000

All due respect, let's not be ignorant. Do you honestly think that we're debating the activites of a block party planner?

Googling "What does a Community Organizer do?" returns several helpful links:

http://tinyurl.com/5gg4ba
http://tinyurl.com/5rz255

...are just two such links. Here's the best answer I've seen:

"A community organizer does things for the people that the mayor, the city council, and other politicians and public officials can't or won't do."

Union leaders could be considering "community organizers", FYI. Unions like the one Palin's husband is a member of.

By: Pat

Pat — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:41:06 +0000

So…a Community Organizer put together block parties and picnics? What is a CO?

By: Vedo

Vedo — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 03:39:36 +0000

Interesting rant Jake. I hope more people caught those swipes taken against community organizing by Giuliani and Palin. It was disheartening to hear those in power who are seeking more power to belittle the people and the people's efforts.

This is the part of the movie where the people figure out that power, influence, and ideas can be taken away and redistributed through effort and engagement.

Sounds to me like the very definition of Social Media.

By: Janet Fouts

Janet Fouts — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 03:36:25 +0000

Beautifully said. (Both of you)

By: Chrystie

Chrystie — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 02:46:38 +0000

Totally! My colleague posted a tweet about it here: http://twitter.com/libraryman/statuses/908911746