LEADERSHIP CULTIVATION

Hillary Reconciled My Differences

As an early and once ardent supporter of Hillary Clinton, a rift developed between us during the contentious Democratic primary season.  It was a rift that I primarily blame on Hillary choosing to follow bad advice from her campaign advisers.  However, tonight after listening to her speech at the Democratic Convention, my former irreconcilable differences have been reconciled.  I also believe that Hillary has at last reconciled her disappointment in losing the Democratic nomination to Barack Obama.  In a like manner I hope that Hillary supporters also are finally able to move forward and heartily support the Obama and Joe Biden Democratic ticket.

During her speech I saw the Hillary that I had come to admire and felt was the Democrats best choice for president.  But sometimes our best laid plans do not always materialize. The keyword here is our.  I believe that one reason "our" plan might not actualize is because our plan might not be the best plan for the greater good. Maybe for Hillary there is a greater calling.  If she chooses, in Hillary I see someone that has the passion and drive to one day replace Ted Kennedy in the Senate as the lead and long term advocate for change that improves the lives of everyday working Americans.  And that is no second-place concession.  The legacy of Ted Kennedy will be equal to or greater than that of any American President.

On the other hand, despite what very nervous Republican pundits would have us believe, Barack Obama is the best choice at this time to be President of the United States.  The truth of the matter is Americans really have tired of the gridlock in Washington and we really have come to despise consistent votes in Congress that strictly adhere to party lines to the detriment of the American people.  Barack offers the best hope for moving beyond partisan politics.

So I am encouraged that America will do the right thing in November and elect Barack Obama president.  I'm also encouraged that Hillary Clinton and yes Bill Clinton too will be partners to Barack and Joe Biden in helping America regain the prestige that it lost under the leadership of George Bush and Dick Cheney.

The Longest Faces In the Room...

Sen. Claire McCaskill was on point when she told Keith Olbermann that the longest faces in the room tonight belonged to the mainstream media who were disappointed that their continued insistence on Democratic Party disunity had lost its steam.  She accurately proclaimed that the Democrats are unified.

Also tonight, President Bill Clinton got his legacy back on track.  He was outstanding with his talking points.  Sen. John Kerry's speech which the egotistical media somehow felt was less appealing than their off target yakking, was also outstanding. I watched it on C-Span.

And not to my surprise, Chuck Todd was way off target in thinking that we who were watching and listening at home would give a bucket of spit for his opinion that Sen. Joe Biden somehow flubbed his zingers.  Joe Biden did just fine.  All the speeches were impressive and inspiring and judged on the basis of their content rather than some juvenile-type critique by a reporter.

The Democrats will do just fine in November and a President Barack Obama and his team were be as successful in returning this country to prosperity as was President Clinton and his team.