"Daily Show" Investigates ACORN, Community Organizing (VIDEO)

John Oliver of "The Daily Show" talked to ACORN's Bertha Lewis about the evils of "community organizing." He also spoke with Liz Shaw, a conservative Christian community organizer who says the mockery of her profession at the Republican National Convention led her to organize for Barack Obama. But Matthew Vadum of the Capital Research Center reminds viewers that community organizing of any kind is a gateway-job into crack dealing. Watch:

Comments

[The Lorax]

OMG that was funny.
Obama/Biden 2008, 3 days to go!

[manofwar]

Where are the people of color UNITED working together, HOPEFUL, trying to CHANGE a Bias World, right Obama Land!!

Now who resides in McCain Palin country exactly, Accusing, yelling, baring false witness, separatist.

The memo has been sent their country is homogeneous!! What a wonderful land that would be for her Joe Scarborough and Pat Buchanan, with their fellow Republicans.

See, we can read we ALL got that MEMO!!!!!!!!!!

[gorgol]

Lets see.."COMM­UNITY ORGANIZER" is whipping the pants off of a "Maverick"­...out financed, out gunned...n­o wonder McCain and the Neocons hate "CO's"....­they know how to win elections.­...they have "brains".

[DarkWitch]

Wow. Community organizing leads to crack. That statement is actually more ignorant than Sarah's statement that the press criticizing her for lying about Obama violates her 1st Amendment rights. Then there is the double bonus of offending the people in this country who actually get out and do good, useful things in their communities.

Thank you, Liz Shaw, for posting. This kind of verbal diarrhea offends intellegent Republicans and Democrats alike.

[schicklett3]

I am so glad Jon Stewart had the gonads to show the community organizing clip.
At the republican convention when rudy guiliani and sara palin made fun of Obama's community organizing I was so mad I spit!
I dispise rudy guiliani since he joined the mccain campaign.

[Whinger]

Another right wing wingnut insulting the intelligence of the people!

[honestpolitician]

LISTEN ALL: Please Go Vote! There has been confirmed reports of voter disenfranchisement and election fraud with the Republican Party and it's supporters. Obama is need of all the votes necessary to create a landslide. Let's make sure that our state turns blue! Bring your friends and family - make it a group thing! Wouldn't you want to say 1 year from now, 5 years from now, or even 20 years from now that you contributed to the most highlighted election in US history? Wouldn't you be proud to tell your kids/grandkids years from now that you voted for this election? It will be the most talked about election for centuries. Voting is a right and a privilege. Let's all make history together!

LATEST ELECTION TV ADS : http://politicaladattacks.blogspot.com/

[honestpolitician]

"In one week, we can choose hope over fear, unity over division, the promise of change over the power of the status quo. In one week, we can come together as one nation, and one people, and once more choose our better history. That's what's at stake. That's what we're fighting for." - Quote from Barack Obama in his closing argument speech.

LATEST ELECTION TV ADS : http://politicaladattacks.blogspot.com/

[ytac]

Who is this Matt V guy? Is he real? Is he sane?

[nikkiazz2fat]

I was wondering that too. Is he for real or exaggerated drama for the Daily Show. If that guy is real WOW their are really people out there stuck on stupid. I wonder if Gulliani & Palin are laughing now at being a "simple" community organizer. That community organizer sure has one hell of a ground game to get out the vote.

[naeldwyck]

Real as can be. See here: http://capitalresearch.org/about/bios.html
These people really do live in an alternative reality; in the past they've at tacked the American Heart Association, American Lung Association and the American Cancer Society for their stance on tobacco.

[Beca]

Jesus was a Community Organizer; Pontius Pilate was a Governor---'nuff said!

[Beca]

This was a great show! Jon Stewart is a brilliant person!
Here is a reminder on why Obama is the voice of hope and reason, why we need to elect him on November 4th!
This is a reminder on why I am voting for Barack Obama!

http://digg.com/politics/YES_WE_CAN_Music_Video_Barack_Obama_www_barackobama_com?OTC-em-st1
---
http://digg.com/political_opinion/We_Are_The_Ones_Song_by_will_i_am_Obama_6?OTC-em-st1
---
http://digg.com/2008_us_elections/Obama_Your_Voice_Can_Change_The_World_VOTE?OTC-em-st1
---

[XME]

This was a great piece (I love John Oliver). What's most frightening is that folks like Matthew Vadum seem more like a parody than an actual viewpoint.­..yet this is really how he, and many others think.

[Bettysdad]

My question has long been: do people like Vadum sit down and think this stuff up, or are they insane, and actually believe it?

I'm beginning to think that the common denominator among wingnuts is paranoia.

[YellowDogInRedCounty]

They actually believe this stuff - look at the woman at the McCain rally who said that Obama was an Arab....yo­u can talk 'til you're blue in the face but these people don't hear you and believe what they want to believe.

[MajorBarbara]

After watching that clip, I had to check out that Vadum guy. I couldn't imagine what kind of reasonable organization would want to be associated with him. Well, you should get a load of this place. Talk about whack jobs!

He works for Capital Research and here is the link.
http://www.capitalresearch.org/

[MajorKong]

Jesus was a community organizer.
Pilate was a governor.

[UrsaMajority]

Liz, bless you for your wonderful work and your testimony to the fact that helping people in communities isn't a partisan issue. When the mocking of them occurred at the Republican Convention, I couldn't help but wonder what happened to President Bush 41's "thousand points of light". I think the problem now is that it's okay to help "real Americans" like you do, but helping folks in inner cities is more suspect. And, as you say, Rudolph Giuliani is one of the biggest hypocrites in current public life, which is quite the accomplishment in this year.

[LizShaw]

third and final post by Liz Shaw:

4. I wanted to tell you the funniest thing of all about the taping! The children you saw participate in a low-income kids gardening program. John Oliver was there looking at their salad greens and you see me handing them samples to try -they love fresh greens. Minutes later some of them started handing greens to John to try. John asked me to name the greens we were growing. I kid you not....the children were handing him arugula! When I told him, he shouted, "Elitist!" and stomped off. The kids were pretty shocked! He ran back to them and explained he was only joking. They smiled, started handing him more greens, and he munched away with them. It was priceless.

Anyway, I just wanted to say hello, and to remind you to hug your local community organizer today!

All best,
Liz Shaw in beautiful Southeast Ohio...whi­ch is turing bluer by the minute!!!!! I should know, I'm the dirctor for our neighborhood Get Out the Vote campaign.

[Rick K]

Thank you very much, Liz.

I very much agree that there has been and can again be a version of the Republican party, socially conservative, smaller government, that does not need to rely on divisiveness and condescension against people trying to make the world a better place.

In fact, I think that's what voters were asking for when they nominated John McCain on the republican side.

I suspect that many of those people are very disappointed.

In any case, thanks for all your work.

[ExpatEd]

Liz,

Here's a virtual hug to you and all community organizers! Thanks for sharing the anecdote about John and the kids. It was, as you said, priceless. :-)

And thanks for the wonderful work that you're doing. If we're granted the wish many of us desire, there will soon be an administration at the helm which will help foster an appreciation among all Americans for community organizers everywhere!

[shubes61]

liz, you're AWESOME! both your important work as a community organizer and your voice supporting barack obama... thank you so much for standing up for what you believe in and making america a better place... YOU ROCK! :D

[naeldwyck]

PS I'm a fan now, you're awesome.