The Alinsky Way of Governing

Powerline ^ | April 10, 2015 | Steven Hayward

[yoe]

My School of Public Policy colleague (and top statewide GOP vote-getter in California last November) Pete Peterson has a nice piece in today’s Wall Street Journal on (The Alinsky Way of Governing) that details the degrading effect Alinskyist politics is having on today’s generation of liberals. (Keep in mind that Hillary Clinton wrote her senior thesis at Wellesley on the greatness of Alinsky.)

Since the article is behind the Journal‘s paywall, a couple of excerpts:

Arizona Rep. Raul Grijalva, the ranking Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, recently caused a stir by sending letters to seven university presidents seeking background information on scientists and professors who had given congressional testimony that failed to endorse what is the conventional wisdom in some quarters regarding climate change. One of the targets was Steven Hayward, a colleague of mine at Pepperdine’s School of Public Policy. . .

How did it come to this? The inability of politicians to confront another’s argument, much less to attempt to persuade the other side, has become standard operating procedure. Now this toxic approach is extending to the broader world of policy—including scientific research. Instead of evaluating the quality of the research, opponents make heavy-handed insinuations about who funds it—as though that matters if the science is sound. And now just about every climate scientist employed by an American university knows that Washington is watching.

More broadly, what has happened is that a generation of American politicians who came of age during Saul Alinsky’s lifetime has moved into positions of institutional power that he so often derided as “the enemy.” They are showing an inability to leave behind Alinsky’s tactics that were intended for the weak against the strong. Civil discourse and academic freedom suffer while the “Prince” becomes more powerful.

[yoe]

To those who voted for Obama, your package is now out of it's gaudy wrappings: (POTUS de facto)

[Slings and Arrows]

WSJ article (bypasses paywall): http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CCYQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsj.com%2Farticles%2Fthe-alinsky-way-of-governing-1428619834&ei=YwwoVeehH8WfsAW_kYCwAg&usg=AFQjCNFnkgrkkVI7yoTy8T2np__b_bBj6Q&sig2=rMiPKyYr3Iv2jn2ZhonhMA&bvm=bv.90491159,d.b2w&cad=rja

[stephenjohnbanker]

Arizona Rep. Raul Grijalva is a communist AND “Reconquista” He is as evil as they come.

Good thing he is as dumb as Sheila Jackson Lee.

[yoe]

Thank you S&A!!

Another PIMP for Saul Alinsky, Arizona Rep. Raul Grijalva

[Paine in the Neck]

Alinsky didn't have much to offer about actually governing. His forte was in showing how to make life miserable for those who were governing.

[yoe]

Quote: “Arizona Rep. Raul Grijalva is a communist AND “Reconquista” He is as evil as they come.”

“Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.” Saul Alinsky

Arizona Rep. Raul Grijalva, the ranking Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, recently caused a stir by sending letters to seven university presidents seeking background information on scientists and professors who had given congressional testimony that failed to endorse what is the conventional wisdom in some quarters regarding climate change.

[stephenjohnbanker]

” “Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.” Saul Alinsky”

Bout time we Alinsky the Alinskyites. And unlike Alinsky devotees, we can tell the truth, whereas they have to lie.

[longfellow]

Thanks for the dart board.
If hitlary doesn’t release the paper then some one should make it up like dingy Harry.

Then they will have to release the real one.

[longfellow]

Who’s this the Frito bandito?

[combat_boots]

The thesis.

I think

http://www.economicpolicyjournal.com/2013/04/hillary-clintons-1969-thesis-on-saul.html

[Slings and Arrows]

My pleasure.