RNC Calls Obama a Former “Street Organizer”
EmailThe Republican National Committee’s new video about Sen. Barack Obama describes the former community organizer, who worked in the 1980s with churches and depressed areas of Chicago to provide job training and other projects, as a "street organizer."
"Street organizer"?
The word choice has some on the Left up in arms.
Over at The Nation, Chris Hayes writes, "Nice. Frankly, in order to elicit the maximum degree of racial stereotyping I would have gone with ‘ghetto operative’ or ‘slum captain’ but I suppose that would have been too obvious."
Says Matthew Yglesias, "Stay classy, RNC!"
I may be wrong, but I’m pretty sure "street organizer" was the job description of Superfly.
- jpt
UPDATE: The RNC notes that Obama was referred to as a "street organizer" in a February 15, 2007, Chicago Sun-Times story that apparently aroused no liberal ire at the time: "Only in the world of politics, Michelle Obama said, after she highlighted Obama’s resume — from street organizer to the Illinois Senate — ‘would insiders dare to look at those accomplishments and dare to have the audacity to say he is not ready.’"
UPDATE II: An event better retort from the RNC. On Obama’s own website, campaign staffers have posted a New York Times story that quotes an Illinois state senator saying, "I remember (Democratic state sen.)Rickey (Hendon) chiding Obama that, ‘What do you know, Barack? You grew up in Hawaii and you live in Hyde Park. What do you know about the street?’ To which Obama shot back: ‘I know a lot. I didn’t exactly have a rosy childhood. I’m a street organizer by profession and a lot of my area, once you get outside the University of Chicago neighborhoods, is just as tough as your West Side, Rickey.’ "
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…this is NOTHING. Just wait until they really get going on BO. He will be a shadow of himself when they finish with him. Republicans never shy away from a fight. I hope people don’t think BO’s race is off limits to Republicans because they have no qualms about playing that so-called “race card.” They THRIVE on that stuff. BO will be toast by November, should he be the nominee.
Posted by: Vickie | June 6, 2008, 12:58 pm 12:58 pm
Chris Hayes hit the nail on the head with that one.
Posted by: Dominique | June 6, 2008, 12:59 pm 12:59 pm
Vickie’s dead right about the Republicans having no qualms about using the race card. I’m sure that’s especially true after how effectively they saw it used by the Clinton campaign, except they won’t be as slick about it.
Posted by: Dominique | June 6, 2008, 1:04 pm 1:04 pm
That’s true.
Hussein Obama is a street organizer.
Republicans are right…..
McCain ’08
Posted by: Nicholas | June 6, 2008, 1:05 pm 1:05 pm
These guys have no idea how to approach BO… After the primary, they are having a hard time finding anything new to throw out there. This should be interesting.
Posted by: newera | June 6, 2008, 1:07 pm 1:07 pm
Just waiting for the trial results for Obama’s old boss Tony Rezko. When he’s found guilty and starts singing to the Feds about all the crooked politians in Illinois Obama will be dead meat.
Posted by: The Malibu Kid | June 6, 2008, 1:13 pm 1:13 pm
Those remarks will only help Obama get more republicans to vote for him in November.
Yes We Can!
Posted by: gemstonez | June 6, 2008, 1:13 pm 1:13 pm
Republican have two of them and the dem leaders suck and would not get away treating a republican lady the way they have treated Hillary .
Posted by: Bishop | June 6, 2008, 1:13 pm 1:13 pm
The Republicans are desperate. They nominated a loser – John SIDNEY McCain III. He’s a secret Australian!
Posted by: Pete | June 6, 2008, 1:16 pm 1:16 pm
“Street organizer” used to be a commonly used reference in politics referring to the on-the-street operatives working for registration and campaigning. Now it’s racist because it’s used to describe Obama? Here we go again. No one better ask if he likes his coffee black.
Posted by: SDO | June 6, 2008, 1:17 pm 1:17 pm
He’s the one that said that he had “street cred”. Give me a break.
Posted by: Mack | June 6, 2008, 1:19 pm 1:19 pm
The Obama people keep having to pat themselves on the back and false praise a radical but corrupt politician. If he was a community organizer, why did he allow so many people die of heat in the summer of 1995. Bet he was inside where it was cool drinking an iced drink. So much praise on an empty suit.
MacCain will win in November. People will say NO to the super radical Obama.
Posted by: Mary | June 6, 2008, 1:20 pm 1:20 pm
Talking nasty to a person does not help at all.
I do not think people will stick to your nasty campaigning and hope their problems will be solved.
This is old stuff (campaign all together). There are more clever people now, than you expected!
We are looking to the new chapter of different politics and am sorry this will not work at all.
Past days are gone and they are over!
Posted by: Peace | June 6, 2008, 1:20 pm 1:20 pm
sdo,
that is funny
they had better not call him
Knight in shining armor either
can we think of any others.
Posted by: superfly | June 6, 2008, 1:20 pm 1:20 pm
Hey at least he graduated. Do we need to look at Obama’s SAT scores?
Posted by: Mack | June 6, 2008, 1:29 pm 1:29 pm
They’ll use whatever it takes to win.
Don’t take it personally.
Posted by: Mack | June 6, 2008, 1:32 pm 1:32 pm
No American is ready to listen to the flip-ploping of the republicans, at one time they say Obama is an elitist at another he was a street organizer. They have nothing to say, apart from loosing
Posted by: Ngemason | June 6, 2008, 1:33 pm 1:33 pm
Obama also called himself a “street organizer” in the July 30, 2007
Posted by: MayBee | June 6, 2008, 1:35 pm 1:35 pm
Joe: No he is NOT the nominee. No votes have been cast for him. Until they are cast for him at the August convention, he remains the “presumptive” nominee.
Posted by: Vickie | June 6, 2008, 1:39 pm 1:39 pm
What he really meant was…..
Posted by: Mack | June 6, 2008, 1:43 pm 1:43 pm
nat turner,
obama told me to tell you to stop supporting him.
because you don’t represent or stand for anything obama stands for.
obama to nat turner-”don’t try to help me-and don’t support me”
Posted by: superfly | June 6, 2008, 1:43 pm 1:43 pm
I don’t care. They can say what they want, but in Nov. they will have to say that they got beat by a Black inexperienced street organizer.
This man is stronger than they can imagine
Obama08
Posted by: Thinking | June 6, 2008, 1:43 pm 1:43 pm
The only thing McCain should be president of is the AARP!
Posted by: Pete | June 6, 2008, 1:46 pm 1:46 pm
hey i saw on msnbc that KARL ROVE will be helping mcsame this summer so get ready for lies and more lies about obama they really cant find anything so they will resort to lies but just wait obama camp aint even begun the dirt on mccain but at least what they have is TRUE!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: angiee | June 6, 2008, 1:49 pm 1:49 pm
WOW!!! Her supporters are crazy!! Most of them seem like man haters now.
Posted by: Joe | June 6, 2008, 1:54 pm 1:54 pm
McCain doesn’t know where he is or what year it is! He’s confused and angry, and he’s not gonna take it anymore!
Posted by: Pete | June 6, 2008, 2:00 pm 2:00 pm
Obama is a Harvard grad that doesn’t know how many states there are.
Posted by: Mack | June 6, 2008, 2:02 pm 2:02 pm
What were they when they voted against Kerry?
Posted by: Mack | June 6, 2008, 2:08 pm 2:08 pm
Joe no matter how you try. The SENSIBLE whites in all the country will never vote for a dope crack head like Obama and his Comrades WRIGHT AND REZKO with his pay to play politics.
Hillary was just tryin to save the Dmocrat party from imploding onto it self. WAKE UP out of you CULT dream already
Posted by: as way | June 6, 2008, 2:15 pm 2:15 pm
Sweetie Nat Turner:
Just as condescending and sexist as the BO, I see. I’m not surprised. That is the norm with BO supporters. They’re just as rude as he is.
Get clue, BO isn’t the nominee and there’s a lot of time between now and August. Many things can happen between now and then. That’s too bad for BO and too bad for you! We’ll see how cocky your are then. My guess is, you won’t be laughing.
Posted by: Vickie | June 6, 2008, 2:16 pm 2:16 pm
John McCain is George Bush’s lapdog! No 3rd term!
Posted by: Pete | June 6, 2008, 2:20 pm 2:20 pm
HRC Supporters = Victim Spiral
Posted by: Fired UP!! | June 6, 2008, 2:28 pm 2:28 pm
Dems to Repubs, “You can’t say that, you see that’s our phrase, we can say that to each other but when it comes from you it’s unclassy.”
Repubs to Dems, (referring to Democrats as a whole) “I don’t understand you people.”
Dems to Repubs, “What do you mean you people!?”
LOL!
Posted by: Mike | June 6, 2008, 2:28 pm 2:28 pm
It does not matter what they try to call him now, because in November they will have to call him Mr. President!!
Posted by: leslie | June 6, 2008, 2:31 pm 2:31 pm
WOW!! After reading these posts, I can see very clearly that racism is alive and well in America! It hasn’t went anywhere at all! It is amazing that so many people can still be so ignorant in 2008. Seems like people would focus on the important issues, do some REAL research to see what the candidates stand for, and last but not least (though obviously the hardest for many) sit down and hold an intelligent, respectful conversation with other people regardless of race or party. That would be the sensible thing to do, but then again, I guess being racist means you are incapable of being sensible. Get your mind right America, like it or not, we are all Americans and in this together.
Posted by: Lynn | June 6, 2008, 2:36 pm 2:36 pm
I despise the war. I cannot stand the Unitary (Self Appointed King)Executive theory. I do not believe in illegal spying programs on Americans. I oppose the ridiculous tax cuts that George Bush has given to the wealthiest individuals and corporations. I believe America should be a beacon of ligt for the world. I oppose torture and kangaroo military tribunals for “enemy combatants”. John McCain supports all of these things so I must be of diminished intellect if I would vote for him just because my Democratic candidate John Edwards did not win the election. No different if my candidate was Hillary. If you state you are a Democrat and are going to vote for John McCain, you have either diminished intellectual capacity or you are a GOP operative that is sock puppeting and lying. Two notorious traits of GOP’s.
Posted by: Cognitive Dissonance | June 6, 2008, 3:10 pm 3:10 pm
the Left needs to learn how to pick their battles.
this is just the beginning. they’ll be wishing they hadn’t run Hillary to the ground come November.
Posted by: barclay | June 6, 2008, 3:33 pm 3:33 pm
Who and what did Obama organize in Chicago and how effective was he. He’s supposed to be such a great leader but who has he led? And where did they go and what did they do when they got there? JFK was also a young man, about the age of Obama as the Obama camp loves to point out. But JFK had actually led men into batttle, heroically even and yet his first year in office was mostly a disaster. The same with Bill Clinton. Now, only McCain has the experience needed to be an effective president from day one. I vote for America first, not the party.
Posted by: chicosez | June 6, 2008, 3:36 pm 3:36 pm
This hypersensitivity on race is just plain tiresome. Obama and his surrogates need to read “The Boy Who Cried Wolf.” Obama is used to tending his massive heard of stupid sheep on the protected ground of the primary. There, he has cried “wolf” against the Clinton’s so many times no one is going to listen to his squeals when the Republicans bite. Serves him right.
Posted by: NJH | June 6, 2008, 3:48 pm 3:48 pm
Like everything else – it’s okay if Obama or a supporter says it, racist if an opponent says it.
Posted by: HoosierSue | June 6, 2008, 3:49 pm 3:49 pm
I like well organized streets.
OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT!
Posted by: hank | June 6, 2008, 4:05 pm 4:05 pm
The Malibu Kid, yesterday Tony Rezko was found guilty on 16 of the 24 counts.
Posted by: James Danley | June 6, 2008, 4:13 pm 4:13 pm
Cognitive Dissonance, you wrote: “I oppose the ridiculous tax cuts that George Bush has given to the wealthiest individuals and corporations.” So what about the bottom two tax brackets being lowered? The 2001 Bush tax cuts lowered the 15% bracket to 10%; and the 28% bracket to 15%. Oh and the top 50% of the nations wage earners now account for 97% of the total income tax revenue! That means the bottom 50% of the nations wage earners account for just THREE PERCENT of the total income tax revenue!
Posted by: James Danley | June 6, 2008, 4:23 pm 4:23 pm
Oil Barrel prices
Unemployment
Yet we will continue to whine and make up things. I still don’t get it
Posted by: musicisourhigh | June 6, 2008, 4:25 pm 4:25 pm
Geevill, the Democrats have been in control of both Houses of Congress for almost 18 months now. They haven’t done a thing to relieve the burden of the high cost of energy. And they have blocked every attempt by President Bush! Yet you want to give the Democrats a larger majority in both Houses of Congress AND the White House. A vote for the Democrats this fall is a vote for massive increases in the price of gas (on top of the $1-$3 raise of the federal tax on gasoline the Democrats plan to implement).
Posted by: James Danley | June 6, 2008, 4:30 pm 4:30 pm
Len, you wrote: “The ONLY way to bring down the cost of gas is to reduce the demand.” Increasing supply will ALSO lower the cost of gasoline.
If the Democrats and environmentalists hadn’t blocked new drilling (specifically offshore drilling) and building new refineries for the past two decades; and if they hadn’t blocked every attempt to build additional nuclear plants, gasoline would be much cheaper today!
Posted by: James Danley | June 6, 2008, 4:36 pm 4:36 pm
Liberaterians = Bob Barr 15% vote
Republicans = John McCain 38 % vote
Democrats = Barack Obama 57% vote
POTUS = Obama
Winner = America
Obama 08 “nuff said”
Posted by: jld1959 | June 6, 2008, 5:18 pm 5:18 pm
Obama WAS INDEED a street organizer.
So?
Seems to help a wee bit in getting oneself elected, doesn’t it?
Posted by: ToastOnDayOne | June 6, 2008, 5:46 pm 5:46 pm
Just another term the so-called ‘conservatives’ are trying to trash.
Remember when ‘liberal’ meant educated and enlightened, as opposed to living in a cave believing in a bunch of old wives tales and superstitions?
If these ‘conservatives’ had remained in charge, we’d still be living the way people did thousands of years ago. Are you better off now…. ;-)
Posted by: Tom J | June 6, 2008, 5:56 pm 5:56 pm
There is another answer to the energy crisis: oil shale extraction. We have enough to extract about 1.1 TRILLION barrels, and the vast majority of the deposits are on public land.
The problem has been getting someone to invest in solving the related economic and environmental issues, with the CW saying it would be cost-effective once oil hits $100 per barrel.
Well that day is here, and it is time for a moon shot level committment by the government to get this going.
Posted by: ToastOnDayOne | June 6, 2008, 6:03 pm 6:03 pm
of course the Republicans can never win an election that does not involve fear and lies and pitting one group against another. Typical GOP crap
Posted by: trte | June 6, 2008, 7:32 pm 7:32 pm
Geez, Michelle looks like a street walker. What’s the big deal?
Posted by: Jeff | June 6, 2008, 9:50 pm 9:50 pm
If they hadn’t put “Street Organizer” in scare quotes, where the rest of the bullet points for his various jobs don’t have those, it wouldn’t raise the same kind of questions. The use of quotation marks skews the reading of any phrase. Consider:
*”Street Organizer” in Chicago
*”Lawyer”
*Law “School Senior” Lecturer
*1997 Part-time “Illinois” State Senator
*2005 “Sworn” in as Illinois “Junior” US Senator
Now, take the same list above, and remove all the quotes *except* those around “Street Organizer.” If it’s a legitimate professional term, on par with community activist, then why put it in quotes? When Obama used it to describe his own work, I doubt he was putting it in quotes – and it’s the quotes that make it seem questionable.
My bigger problem with the video is the fact that it skips from “Street Organizer” to “1997 Part-time Illinois State Senator.” This is just a pathetic attempt to obfuscate Obama’s work as a civil rights lawyer and law professor. And what’s with the “part-time?” Aren’t all state senators in Illinois effectively “part-time?” Isn’t that a bit unnecessary?
Sheesh. It’s not racist, but it is ham-handed.
Posted by: thisniss | June 7, 2008, 4:27 am 4:27 am
Nothing wrong with being a street organizer. Skills he he picked up helped him run one of the best organized and effective primary campaigns in American history. It’ll help him again in November.
Posted by: Brooklyn Democrat | June 7, 2008, 4:01 pm 4:01 pm