THE ENTERPRISE
Elections are coming next Tuesday. The deadline for absentee ballots is past. If you have not voted already, please get out to the polls Tuesday and take advantage of this wonderful right, and fulfill this large responsibility. These choices will shape YOUR future. Here's the landscape as I see it. Let's cover the overall situation, some wonderful thoughts on "authentic leadership" and the "consequences" of Americans making the "wrong" choices at the polls.
THE MORE THINGS CHANGE, THE MORE THEY STAY THE SAME
John Kerry is back in the news with his foot in his liberal mouth, licking the self-inflicted wound. He committed the ultimate sin of a politician. He said what he really thinks, and what his party really thinks. Scary, huh? Brilliant writer, professor and thinker Thomas Sowell of the Hoover Institution authored a wonderful column entitled: "Voters should make sure they know the consequences..."
----One notable quote: "Contrary to what you might think from the way media cover politics, elections are not about the careers of politicians but about the fate of the country. This fate is definitely on the line now..."
WHAT ARE CONDITIONS LIKE NOW?
1. The economy and the stock market are both up, and more than a little.
2. Employment is up, unemployment down, and if the media would just report the news, instead of spin it negative to try damaging the Bush administration, the mood of the country would be much better.
3. The budget deficit is down in spite of Congress spending way too much, and in spite of Bush inspired spending on the Iraq debacle. The Bush tax cuts have done the job, stimulated the economy, and reduced the deficit, in spite of the runaway spending.
4. The stage is set for the US to pull back in Iraq, and the public is clamoring for it. While things are not as bad over there as the media shows, the US has done all it can, and it is time to turn things over to the Iraqis and let them run their own country--whatever that means.5
5. The BIG problems remain: Gridlock in Congress (this election won't fix that!); Social Security (although it is OK until about 2040), Medicare (a much bigger problem) and our messed up Health Care System; Immigration (the fence is a symbolic, but not effective solution) and most of all, Energy Independence--a critical need for our country's future.
6. Islamic Terrorism is still a huge problem for the US and Europe. The US needs to quit wasting money in Iraq and other countries propping up weak, ineffective leaders and re-direct it to a whole new method of fighting global terrorism--focused, clandestine (that'll drive the NY Times crazy), guerrilla warfare according to the terrorist's rules (none) instead of the Geneva Conventions.
With that backdrop of world events, we need new leaders in our country and our Congress. Note that I did not say we needed new members of Congress. We need leaders. In a brilliant column in US News & World Report, Bill George writes on "Truly Authentic Leadership,"
----"The problem isn't the lack of potential leaders, however, but a wrongheaded notion of what exactly a leader is. ...The only valid test of a leader is his or her ability to bring people together to achieve sustained results over time."
That's a good statement of what we need in our elected leaders. We need real bi-partisanship, not bogus horse-trading of pork barrel goodies. George goes on to define authentic leadership more fully:
---"Authentic leaders know the "true north" of their moral compass and are prepared to stay the course despite challenges and disappointments. They are more concerned about serving others than their own success of recognition."
He then lists five traits authentic leaders demonstrate:
1) Pursuing their purpose with passion
2) Practicing solid values
3) Leading with their hearts as well as their heads
4) Establishing connected relationship
5) Demonstrating self-discipline
This is a great list and a great article (US news, Oct. 30, 2006 pp. 52-54). I think President George Bush scores pretty well on this list, in spite of his missteps, and those of his organization.
HALLOWEEN AND OTHER SCARY THINGS
Halloween just passed, but there are still scary goblins and gremlins out there:
--Scary Thing no. 1--the "economy, stupid": If the Democrats gain control of the House (likely) and the Senate (possible) some scary things happen in the USA. First of all, they have no plan other than to undo what has been done in the past 6 years that led to the current economic well-being of the country. Watch and plan accordingly!
--Scary Think no. 2--the new "leadership": If you aren't frightened at the prospect of Nancy Pelosi two heartbeats from the Presidency and major committees led by Ted Kennedy (ask Mary Jo Kopechne's family about him), Harry Reid ("dirty Harry" whose Vegas graft is unimaginable and just now being disclosed), Charles Rangle (how much more extremely liberal could he be?) and that entire gang of "we don't have a plan, our plan is to oppose Bush" Democrats.
--Scary Thing no. 3--the "appeasers" in charge: We can expect the Kerry led pacifists and appeasers to mistakenly think the Islamic terrorists and French nationalists are our friends--how wrong that could be? And who will stand up to Iran, North Korea, the Taliban, Hezbollah, and so forth? Howard Dean?
BOTTOM LINE; NEW LEADERSHIP IS NEEDED IN WASHINGTON
It's time for the GOP to find a new wave of leaders in Congress and the Senate, regardless of who holds the majority. It's time to start thinking about who will lead our country in the White House from 2008 forward. Don't tell me Hillary or McCain. Think new leadership. Think strong leadership. I'm reading what Barack Obama believes in his book. He's still a bit too much of a Democrat to suit my politics, but at least he talks about bi-partisan efforts, and inspires confidence in people. Right now, look hard at Mitt Romney. He's got better credentials by far than Obama (governors learn to govern, Senators learn to debate, analyze and horse-trade). Romney has also done much more in his career and has broader and deeper experience of all sorts.
However the election comes out, let me leave you with two quotes. An inspiring one from Bill George and a scary one from Thomas Sowell.
George closes his article with this:
---No individual achievement can equal the pleasure of leading a group of people to achieve a worthy goal. When you cross the finish line together, there's a deep satisfaction that it was your leadership that made the difference. There's simply nothing that can compare with that."
Sowell closes with this one (after noting that Nancy Pelosi voted against EVERY positive solution on immigration, on tax policy, on cutting waste in welfare spending, on tracking terrorists use of international phone calls to plan attacks, and she wants to give captured terrorists more rights than even the Geneva Convention gives them):
---"This from someone who, as speaker of the House, would be two heartbeats away from becoming the President of the United States. We can only hope that the president and vice president never travel in the same car or fly on the same plane."
Now get out there and vote on Tuesday! Be a real American!
Best, John.
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