Saul Alinksi, Mike Kruglik, and Obama, the Master of Agitation....
One of Obama’s early mentors in the Alinsky method was Mike Kruglik, who had this to say to an Ryan Lizza of The New Republic, about Obama:
“He was a natural, the undisputed master of agitation, who could engage a room full of recruiting targets in a rapid-fire Socratic dialogue, nudging them to admit that they were not living up to their own standards. As with the panhandler, he could be aggressive and confrontational. With probing, sometimes personal questions, he would pinpoint the source of pain in their lives, tearing down their egos just enough before dangling a carrot of hope that they could make things better.”
“The agitator’s job, according to Alinsky, is first to bring folks to the “realization” that they are indeed miserable, that their misery is the fault of unresponsive governments or greedy corporations, then help them to bond together to demand what they deserve, and to make such an almighty stink that the dastardly governments and corporations will see imminent “self-interest” in granting whatever it is that will cause the harassment to cease. In these methods, euphemistically labeled “community organizing,” Obama had a four-year education, which he often says was the best education he ever got anywhere.”
http://www.brookesnews.com/081401obama.html
The above article was posted in Feb ‘08 on the DU website by a Hilary supporter:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4356355
Someone needs to interview Mike Kruglik.
Maimon Schwarzschild 24 Sep 10:19 am by maimons
... have received just a couple of years earlier, in 1985 or 1986. It was very clear to Rooney, based both on his interviews with Chambers, and on his own attendance at the 1989 IAF training, that for the IAF "it is absolutely essential to select a ripe target [a ... " in Chicago starting in 1985 through late 1987, about 3 years. He came to work for Jerry Kellman and Mike Kruglik. Judis tells us: "in Chicago, he [Obama] learned the principles of community organizing from Kellman, Kruglik, and other ...
The Right Coast - http://rightcoast.typepad.com/rightcoast/
Personal targeting and scape-goating became a central organizing principle of IAF-trained "community organizers," given special emphasis by Alinsky’s lieutenant and successor Ed Chambers. Chambers was a key source for Rooney in writing "Organizing the South Bronx". Chambers gave Rooney numerous taped interviews in 1989 (p. 265, 266, 276,) and reviewed the draft before publication (p. 10). Because Chambers and other IAF leaders reviewed the book before publication, the book is uniquely reliable in describing what the IAF did in the Obama years and what the IAF's tactics and intentions were.
Ed Chambers, starting from the IAF "base in Chicago," "changed the way of operating" the IAF beginning around 1970, "took the whole thing over" in 1972 after Alinsky died, and "set up an institute where we train many, many organizers" (p. 80-81). Rooney attended the July, 1989 training (page 219 and following) and sets out in detail what the standard IAF training includes. This was the same kind of training that Obama would have received just a couple of years earlier, in 1985 or 1986. It was very clear to Rooney, based both on his interviews with Chambers, and on his own attendance at the 1989 IAF training, that for the IAF "it is absolutely essential to select a ripe target [a person] and build animosity towards him or her" (p. 228). "A target has to be selected and mercilessly zeroed in on" (p. 228).
I give you targets: Gov. Palin and Joe the Plumber
'His [Obama's] assignment was to operate in the classic style,' Kruglik, a stubby, scruffy, intense man who now works for Gamaliel, tells me." Another community organizer who trained Obama was Northwestern professor John McKnight, "a member of the Gamaliel Foundation's board of directors." Obama "continued to train other organizers for the Gamaliel Foundation. 'It was the same organizing leadership training,' recalls Obama trainee David Kindler."