[COMM-ORG] morning in the United States

Fri Nov 14 13:27:36 CST 2008

[ed:  Heidi's contribution is actually a query, so feel welcomed to 
respond to it.]

From: swarts at andromeda.rutgers.edu

I know there will be plenty of such books, but I wondered if anyone knows
of anyone writing a really good book, or planning to, on the campaign -
probably David Plouffe or David Axelrod (or both) will and that may be
best in some ways, God knows, since they were there - but I really want to
see this dissected - how CO principles were combined with electoral
campaign principles to result in that campaign. Anyone know? The two links
Betty Robinson suggested were great; I'm imagining something like the
first piece but book-length.

Heidi Swarts

Heidi Swarts, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Political Science
Rutgers University-Newark
Hill Hall Room 727
360 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Newark, NJ 07102-1801
tel. 973-353-5988
fax 973-353-5103
swarts at andromeda.rutgers.edu

Discussion list for COMM-ORG wrote:
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> [ed:  Betty adds to her original post.]
>
> From: "Betty G. Robinson" <bgrobinson at verizon.net>
>
>
> I actually should have emphasized analyses in my original post (stories 
> are important, too, because they tap into people imaginations and help 
> propel our organizing forward) but I was really thinking about analysis 
> of strategy/tactics, for example, how the Obama campaign used organizing 
> principles and processes along with issues and/or values to bring people 
> into the campaign.  I think it is important for us all to understand 
> this as a way of moving forward with our organizing -- be it around 
> neighborhood issues, housing foreclosures, immigrant rights, the right 
> to organize, universal health care, quality education, pro-peace 
> efforts, the effects of environmental change, or the urgency of finding 
> solutions to the economic crisis.  Yes, definitely, Peter Dreier's 
> articles were extremely valuable in understanding what was unfolding and 
> I am sure there will be other more in-depth pieces that get published in 
> the coming months.
>
> Here are two things I have come across recently:
>
> http://www.nonprofitquarterly.org/content/view/717/1/   CEO of Public 
> Allies, Paul Schmidt, identifies 5 elements of Obama's successful 
> campaign that might hold lessons for non-profits
>
> http://progressivesforobama.net/2008/10/11/eight-points-for-2009-winning-the-victory-for-popular-democracy/ 
> Bill Fletcher, a long time organizer working within the unions, African 
> American communities and progressive circles offers an agenda for the 
> first 100 days as well as thoughts for organizing longer term.
>
> Betty Robinson
>
>
> Discussion list for COMM-ORG wrote:
>   
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>>  
>> [ed:  thanks to those who sent personal notes responding to me, which I 
>> won't post here unless the senders request it. Please consider Betty's 
>> idea in this message, which would be a great project.]
>>
>> From:
>> "Betty G. Robinson" <bgrobinson at verizon.net>
>>
>>
>> Hi Randy,
>> Just a thought:  Could Comm-Org collect all the stories about Obama 
>> campaign organizing in one place?  Even links to same?  I am thinking it 
>> would be a valuable resource for folks around the country -- I plan to 
>> do it for folks here but I am sure I don't have access to the universe 
>> of stories.  How about folks sending links to things they have read or 
>> felt showed the depth of the organizing?
>>
>> Betty
>>
>> Discussion list for COMM-ORG wrote:
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>>     
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>>> Good morning COMM-ORG,
>>>
>>> It is a rare opportunity to bear witness to the power of community 
>>> organizing.  Seldom in this country's history have we seen the craft 
>>> reach the heights of its potential--the Civil Rights Movement, the 
>>> passage of the Community Reinvestment Act and, maybe arguably, one or 
>>> two other times.  But last night I witnessed, as an adult when I can 
>>> truly appreciate it, the power of the people united through community 
>>> organizing.  I, perhaps like many of you, are still in a bit of a 
>>> shock.  Regardless of the extent to which we may or may not agree with 
>>> President-elect Obama politically (from either side of the political 
>>> spectrum), we must appreciate the historic election of someone whose own 
>>> lifetime began under the disenfranchisement of African Americans.  Less 
>>> than half a century ago Barack Obama would have had difficulty even 
>>> trying to vote in the southern United States.  I am also the parent of a 
>>> 16 year old multi-racial (including African American) daughter.  She 
>>> could not bear the ambiguity of the early returns, and could not sleep 
>>> once the result was decided.  I remain, this morning, overwhelmed by the 
>>> momentousness of this election.
>>>
>>> As we dissect what happened, I hope we appreciate how the lessons of 
>>> community organizing, which include fundraising, and its leadership by a 
>>> 47 year old community organizer who perhaps finally figured out how to 
>>> organize, brought about this historic result.  My congratulations and 
>>> thanks go out to ACORN and all the other community organizers who put 
>>> into play, in magnificent form, time-honored community organizing 
>>> practices to register voters and organize against voter suppression.  It 
>>> is a new morning in the United States and, for the moment, it belongs to 
>>> community organizing.
>>>
>>> Randy Stoecker
>>> moderator/editor, COMM-ORG
>>> rstoecker at wisc.edu
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