Why does Governor Sarah Palin hate community organizers?

Apparently, Governor Sarah Palin hates community organizers. Tonight, in her speech to the Republican National Convention, Palin took aim at Barack Obama's former employment, belittling the profession.

I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a "community organizer," except that you have actual responsibilities.

Among other things, it appears that Governor Palin isn't up to speed on what community organizers do. Here is a good place for her to go and find out what exactly community organizers do and what responsibilities they have.

Organizing is a grassroots activity. It often starts at the basic level of society among ordinary citizens where all sorts of issues arise. Regardless of their political, economic, religious, or other viewpoint, people who share a common purpose or concern often organize to achieve that purpose or to address that concern. At the local level, they may work to save a historic building from demolition, build power for a working-class community, or establish zoning regulations for a new development. At the regional, national, or international level, they may campaign to solve environmental problems, improve health care for children, or bring educational issues to the political forefront. Regardless of the issues or campaigns, they always work for change.

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While organizers work with many different groups of people, they most frequently assist those at the lower end of the economic ladder - the people who historically have had the least power. The issues low-income people face may vary, but include access to health care and housing, neighborhood safety, education, race relations, economic equity and environmental conditions. Organizers do not make changes directly, but they play a variety of key roles. They serve as educators, trainers, and mentors and are sometimes viewed as agitators as well. Their job is to harness the energy of individuals and help direct it down a path that will enable the group to achieve its goals. They help develop leaders among ordinary people and train these leaders to create a local organization that will involve increasing numbers of people and be self sustaining and more powerful over time.

So let's take a look at why Governor Palin hates community organizers.

1. Community organizers work to bring people together for the common good. The only interest Governor Palin and Senator McCain care about is their own interest (and likely the rate their bank gives them).

2. Community organizers frequently assist the poor to improve their circumstances. Senator McCain, Governor Palin and their fellow Republicans only care about improving the circumstances of corporate America and the richest 1%.

3. Community organizers work for change. Barack Obama will bring us change we can believe in. Senator McCain and Governor Palin love the status quo and will bring us four more years of the same old thing.

4. Community organizers develop leaders among regular folk, like you, me and our neighbors. Senator McCain and Governor Palin fear regular people coming into power because it will put a halt to the gravy train that they and their rich friends are on, and send them off into the political wilderness.

People powered politics is all about community organizing. It's up to each of us to be our own community organizer, to talk with our friends and neighbors about the progressive future we all want and the importance of electing Barack Obama to help us start realizing that vision. We can't just be content to sit back and vote for Obama.

The choice is clear in 2008. You can vote for Barack Obama, who easily could have pulled down a six-figure salary after coming out of Harvard Law School, but chose to organize regular people for the common good. Or you can choose more of the same, and you'll continue to get screwed for the next four years. For me, that's not a choice, it's a call to action.