LEADERSHIP CULTIVATION

President Obama Wins 2009 Nobel Peace Prize...Another Proud Moment

The poet Robert Burns wrote that "the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray." That astute observation is never more evident than today when despite his many naysayers, President Obama has been awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize. The President must be feeling an energy infusion. When President Obama "failed" to deliver the 2016 Olympics to Chicago, his detractors celebrated even though when I last checked, Chicago was still a part of the United States. "Obama was losing his influence in the world", they scoffed. I assume these flag waving critics wanted an exemption for their "uncharacteristic" un-American behavior. When the President showed that he was really serious about tackling the numerous problems that stressed this country like the economy, health care, climate control, and the Iraq War, his critics recoiled even more.  “Wait” they said. To their surprise and apparent disappointment, he was trying to do too much too soon. President Obama was not trying to protect his "rock star" image and it really must have been agonizing for them to watch their "empty suit" myth be so easily dispelled.

Now by awarding him the Nobel Peace prize, members of the global community have given the President a huge pat on the back and encouragement for his attempts to restore a sense of civility and cooperation in the world. So in an encore to the exhilaration I felt on November 4, 2008 with the election of Barack Obama as U. S. President, this is a proud moment for me and no doubt many others who believe that the time for change has come. The President continues to remind us that change will not come easy. Yet even when blowhards like Rush Limbaugh attack him 24/7 on talk radio and television, or during fake demonstrations, or by displaying bad manners during national presidential addresses, I hope that President Obama knows he is not alone and that many more of us have his back. 

Mr. President, we really are proud of you and celebrate this very special moment with you. So press on in your efforts! Keep pressing on! Your labor has not been in vain.

Joe Biden Will Be A Nightmare for John McCain and GOP

For months the GOP thought that Hillary Clinton would give them the most trouble as their 2008 Democratic presidential rival.  That was before Barack Obama outperformed everyone's expectations and proceeded to win the Democratic nomination instead. Suddenly, the GOP came to the realization that Obama was really the most formidable opponent and that Hillary was the easier prey.  The Clinton dynasty had been weakened and the GOP smelled red meat.   They now wanted Hillary to stay in the mix.  So they activated a plan to instigate Hillary into the number two spot on the Democratic ticket as the VP. Why not?  They could still run the same campaign ads that they produced months ago in anticipation of Clinton being the nominee.  

In the meantime, they decided to follow Karl Rove's advice to redefine Obama and makeover John McCain.  So the GOP promoted the Clinton storyline of Obama not appealing to working class white voters. Obama is an elitist.  Obama is weak on foreign policy.  Obama makes great speeches, but they are only empty words. Attack, attack, attack. Poke your finger in Obama's chest and dare him to fight back because it would violate his personal oath to run a civil campaign.  Gleefully bait Obama to respond forcefully, because then you could proclaim that "he is no different from the rest of us."  This is one instance where being the same has its benefits. 

However, true to form the GOP miscalculated.  They violated a basic tactic of war.  Never back your opponent into a corner without giving them an escape route.  Because with no way out, the cornered tend to fight back with more tenacity.  Or they call for backup.  Well, Barack Obama chose both options.  As John McCain said, Obama became "testy" and he also placed a call for backup to his colleague, Joe Biden.  You know Biden's reputation. Salt of the earth. Strong with working class Americans, strong with Catholics, strong with foreign policy and one who loves a good fight.  And unlike Obama, Biden possessed no handicap to play nice.  Biden has more than enough gut punches to go around and like Donna Brazile tearing into a GOP pundit, he won't hesitate to use them.   

The GOP must be thinking that they can't catch a cold.  "Curses, foiled again!". What's a body to do?  Maybe they will take the advice of the "brilliant" GOP talking head who recommended that McCain ignore Biden and keep hammering away at Obama.  You know, as in close your eyes and pretend that Biden isn't really there and maybe he will go away.  After witnessing Joe Biden in action today, somehow I don't think that strategy will have much success.

Barack Obama Critics Try to Discount His Overseas Success

Most of us are familiar with the fairy tale about the emperor who foolishly strutted around naked because he had been deceived by a scam artist into believing that he was wearing an invisible suit of clothes. The folly continued until a courageous child spoke up and told the emperor the truth. Contrast that story with the one where Barack Obama went overseas and simply blew expectations out of the water and yet his critics expect the public to believe that Obama "is not wearing any clothes." Will it take another child to also dispel this nonsense?

Foreign policy was supposed to be John McCain's strong suit. It was believed to be so strong in fact that McCain practically begged Obama to travel overseas. After all, Obama was supposed to be just an empty suit. Surely Obama would flounder on the world stage and then finally everyone would see that McCain was better suited to lead the free world. Does anyone have a mulligan lying around so that McCain can get a do-over? As other opponents have found out the hard way, do not underestimate this guy. Like the Energizer Bunny, Obama just keeps going and going and going. After Obama's extraordinary reception on the world stage, the aimless wandering of the McCain campaign is destined to continue.

One hundred thousand people were expected to show up to hear Obama's speech in Germany. Instead, two hundred thousand people showed up with some even waving the American Flag. So what did the critics say?  Take your pick. "I don't know how well it's going to play back in America with the great affection that Obama is receiving overseas". "Obama may be peaking too early... it's still a long ways to November."  "Obama must be careful not to act too presidential."  Then there is the ever popular "Obama is just words".  Surely that last one will stick since all of our previous presidents have campaigned as mimes. 

Will the silliness ever cease?  Instead of acting like professional wrestling promoters, is it too much to expect the media to admit the obvious. Obama is outperforming the competition. Obama is no different from the smart kid who destroys the academic curve in class, or the athlete who hits more homeruns or anyone who excels because of their special gift. The sad reality is that the success of high potential people is often met with jealousy, disbelief or disingenuous attempts to undermine their achievements.

Make no mistake about it, John McCain knows that his campaign is in trouble. In his dogfight against a phenomenon opponent, McCain thinks his only chance for victory is to get one of his frivolous accusations about Obama to stick. His prospects are not very good however, because intelligent people would have to believe his insinuation that Barack Obama, the best choice to lead America now, is not wearing any clothes.

Lou Dobb Negatively Spins Obama's Suggestion to Learn Spanish

When I lived in Germany, my German and British friends jokingly baited me with three questions.  What do you call someone who speaks three languages?  What do you call someone who speaks two languages?  And what do you call someone who speaks one language?  The answers respectively were trilingual if you spoke three languages, bilingual if your spoke two and American if you spoke one.  My friends had themselves a good laugh at my expense.

Well tonight on the CNN Newsroom, regular Barack Obama basher Lou Dobbs attempted to spin Barack Obama's recent comments that American kids needed to learn how to speak Spanish into a negative. Dobbs disingenuously asserted that Obama's suggestion was elitist and patronizing especially to the American "working class".

For some unknown reason, political pundits and some members of the mainstream media such as Dobbs really are the ones who with regularity are guilty of talking down to and insulting the intelligence of the American working class.  It's as if Dobbs and other detractors of honest dialogue think that working class Americans, presumably dominated by blue collar workers, lack the capacity to understand that a lifestyle improvement such as learning a different language would also provide benefits to them as it does to Americans in general.  

Dobbs skipped over the fact that Obama also said that immigrants to America needed to learn how to speak English. When I lived in Europe, I observed that a lot of Europeans spoke English in addition to their native language and it was a huge expectation that some Americans had of our European hosts. It was also in Europe that I became familiar with the fancy term "ethnocentrism" that when applied to Americans, means that we have the tendency to elevate the importance of our cultural traits and values above those of people from other places.

So in a nutshell, Lou Dobbs is wrong and is back on his immigration soapbox attempting to turn Obama's sensible comments about learning another language into a wedge issue which he hopes will gain traction. However, I know the American working class is smarter and more perceptive than Dobbs seems to give them credit.

Wes Clark Is Barack Obama's Best Choice for VP

I like General Wesley Clark and I think he would be a great compliment to Barack Obama as vice president.  Why Wes Clark?  He has all the needed credentials.  Clark graduated at the top of his class at West Point and was chosen as a Rhodes Scholar. He has elderly statesmen-like qualities having served as a Four-Star General and NATO Supreme Allied Commander where he directed troops during the Kosovo War with no loss of U.S. lives.

Clark has a Jewish heritage, was a Hillary Clinton supporter (who didn't go overboard), served as a talking head military expert, is a businessman, and has moderate political views with Southern roots. What more can you ask for in a vice presidential candidate that would add value to an Obama ticket.

As he recently showed on MSNBC, I agree with The Young Turks assessment that General Clark definitely has the unquestionable stature to go head to head with John McCain on foreign policy.  If I'm looking for advice on foreign policy, with no disrespect of McCain, I would listen to the brilliant General who actually directed a major military campaign versus the Colonel who served time as a POW.  We can imagine that McCain suffered as a POW, but Clark also suffered four gunshot wounds while serving in Vietnam.

There are a lot of outstanding persons that Obama can choose as a running mate. Since another favorite Mark Warner is now out of the picture, Wes Clark is definitely my current choice for the slot.  And you know, Obama/Clark has a nice ring to it.

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