John Edwards and community organizing

[Discussion list for COMM-ORG]

[ed:  Thanks to Don for raising these issues.  I would like to point us 
to the issues he raises for community organizing, and try to avoid 
having a candidate debate.  Is the rule both organized people and 
organized money?]

From: "Don Floyd" <dfloyddekalb at earthlink.net>


 >From Dreier's piece:  "...it seems that only Edwards has absorbed the
cardinal rule of organizing: it requires organized people to beat organized
money."

Don't know where this "cardinal rule" comes from.  When I was in the work,
the only "organizers" I knew who mouthed lines like that were the liberal
do-gooders, too afraid of power to build their own organized money.  Real
organizers build BOTH organized people AND organized money.

Edwards has always seemed like one of those former organizers--often rich,
liberal white kids who want to play at being organizers, but end up losing
and screwing the folks because they can't stand the tension of building
real power.

Professor Dreier ignores the fact that Obama is the only trained and
experienced community organizer in the field, and that he and his team are
organizing both people and money very well, much better than Edwards.

Don Floyd




Discussion list for COMM-ORG wrote:
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>  
> From:
> "Peter Dreier" <dreier at oxy.edu>
> Date:
> Thu, 27 Sep 2007 10:02:22 -0700
> To:
> "Peter Dreier" <dreier at oxy.edu>
>
> Today's HuffingtonPost carries my piece, "John Edwards - Organizer in 
> Chief," about last night's Democratic debate and Edwards' understanding 
> that grassroots organizing is critical to achieve real health care 
> reform and other goals.
> http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-dreier/john-edwards-organizer_b_66146.html
>  
> Peter
> _____________________________________
> Peter Dreier
> Dr. E.P. Clapp Distinguished Professor of Politics
> Chair, Urban & Environmental Policy Program
> Occidental College
> 1600 Campus Road
> Los Angeles, CA 90041
> Phone: (323) 259-2913
> FAX: (323) 259-2734
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