LEADERSHIP CULTIVATION

Mavericks Need Not Apply...We Need Change Agents

Joe Biden was right.  John McCain really doesn't get it.  At a time when the American people have loudly spoken and asked for real change, McCain is still running around the country foolishly touting his maverick characteristics.  Well let me tell you what a maverick does.  A maverick defines the United States in terms of Red States and Blue States.  A maverick preserves a doctrine of Conservatives against Liberals, Republicans versus Democrats.  A maverick doesn't seek change, but more of the same.  A maverick guarantees the continuation of political gridlock.

Just like the lead characters Bret and Bart who were drifting gamblers in the old TV western Maverick, McCain has no real plan but runs from place to place in search of a good poker hand or campaign slogan that will stick.  And like Bret and Bart who regularly threw their chips up to see where they would land, the maverick McCain abruptly threw his hands up in the midst of a crisis as in "I am suspending my campaign and returning to Washington" because he felt overwhelmed.

So I don't think the country needs a maverick or a reformer who is someone who wants to put a bandaid on a gaping wound, but it needs a change agent like Barack Obama who knows that if we keep doing things the same old way we're going to get the same old results.  Well Joe, while John McCain doesn't get it, the early voting results tells me that the American people do get it.  That's especially true here in the great state of North Carolina, where this time around, North Carolina refuses to stay a maverick Red State, but proudly rejoins the United States.

Decision 2008: Obama/Biden to DC, McCain/Palin to Hollywood

It's becoming more and more apparent that the majority of Americans have decided to go to the polls and send Barack Obama and Joe Biden to the White House.  However, John McCain and Sarah Palin can take solace in knowing that they both have bright futures in Hollywood.  As I listened to McCain's stand-up routine at the Alfred E. Smith Dinner in New York, I found him to be extremely funny.  And McCain's Michael Jordan-like tongue wagging episode after the last Presidential Debate with Obama, surely will one day rank with the now infamous Howard Dean scream.  Fred Thompson be on notice. You have competition. 

Not to be outdone, Sarah Palin's performance during the lone Vice-Presidential Debate showed that she has actress-like skills in memorizing a script. She could make millions in Hollywood if she chose to go that route full-time and eventually she could win an Oscar.  You betcha. Palin does Palin much better than Tina Fey and Palin's upcoming appearance on SNL should be a total hoot.

So it's a win-win situation for all.  Obama and Biden can tackle the serious issues facing the country while McCain and Palin fans can follow their act on the big-screen. It's refreshing to see that most Americans finally realize that it's more important to the sustainability of America to have a President and Vice President with the intellect to tackle major issues than average Joes we feel comfortable having a beer with at the local pub. It's worth noting that Obama/Biden supporters however must validate their revelation by actually casting their votes.

Telltale Signs That North Carolina Really Is In Play

North Carolina Democrats are fired up about Barack Obama, their candidate for President of the United States.  Volunteers are in over abundance and monetary contributions are flowing like the Nile River.  Add to that a growing number of Obama/Biden bumper stickers and yard signs which unlike in previous years outnumber those of the GOP candidates.  Extra telling is the comment sections of the editorial pages of leading NC newspapers like the Charlotte Observer where Obama supporters are active participants.  Negative or distorted comments posted by GOP supporters or surrogates are quickly rebuffed.

Another very prominent sign that NC is in play is the attention being paid to NC by the Obama Campaign. Last Sunday Joe Biden and his wife Jill visited Charlotte.  Michelle Obama visited on Thursday and Barack himself will be in Charlotte tomorrow on Sunday.  Judging by the buzz that I am hearing, I expect the turnout for Obama to be huge. The turnout and the energy his appearance will generate will fire up supporters even more for the stretch run and attract the few voters left who may be still undecided. 

If you need more proof, just listen to the chatter coming from the GOP and faux Democrats.  Former Hillary Clinton supporter, Mark Erwin is quick to suggest that it is futile for Obama to expend resources in NC because it's not likely that the so-called solid red state will turn blue.  It's obvious that much like his GOP pals, Erwin wasn't listening when Obama said "it's not red or blue states, but the United States."   Also, he apparently discounted a recent poll of likely NC voters that showed John McCain with only a one point lead over Obama.  That will spell big trouble for the GOP, because of the revised composition of likely voters that include a 3 to 1 Democratic advantage of new registrants and a large number of difficult to canvass young voters that favor the candidacy of Barack Obama.  Indeed, NC is very much in play.

Need more signs?  Prominent GOP candidates like Pat McCrory who is running for governor and Liz Dole up for re-election to the U.S. Senate seem to be running as Independents.  Liz Dole didn't even attend the GOP Convention.  Who's a Republican?  There is little mention of John McCain and with her star now losing its luster, few of them are climbing on the Sarah Palin bandwagon.  Privately Republicans must be incensed with McCain that Palin was not properly vetted.  With almost a scandal a day, voters have to be  questioning the judgment and decision-making capacity of McCain due to his choice of a running mate.  The selection of Joe Biden by Obama was a home run.  But does anyone who understands the importance of "Country First" really believe that McCain put country first with his selection of Palin who could be a heartbeat away from being Commander in Chief. 

Well, all those examples validate NC as a battleground state, but the biggest indicator is it appears that most NC voters are not of the stupid variety and have discerned that the country desperately needs positive change. I have attended large and small Obama events and there is widespread support for Obama from the electorate.  Those supposedly white, bitter, disenfranchised voters don't reside here.  You may recall it was Obama's NC primary victory that helped him get his mojo back. Much like it is with Iowa, NC and Obama are joined at the hip.  So despite this being the silly season of politics, Obama has statewide support in the Coastal Plains, the Piedmont and the Mountain regions of the Old North State. Yep, telltale signs suggest that the debilitating American Gridlock will get a long overdue positive change injection on November 4 and NC most certainly will line up on the right side of history.

The "Real" Reason That John McCain Chose Sarah Palin

Anyone with an ounce of common sense knows that Sarah Palin is not a good choice to serve as John McCain's vice president.  McCain is 72 years old and suffers from a potentially deadly disease, skin cancer.  So why pick an inexperienced running mate when there exists a tremendous need to assure the American public that a McCain Presidency has a good succession plan, well the answer is right in front of us.

After watching the very successful and unified Democratic Convention, John McCain like most Americans knows that his candidacy is in trouble.  However, McCain is also a very proud man.  So short of admitting defeat, he picked an unqualified running mate so that after he loses, he has an established alibi that lets him save face.  McCain wants to be able to rationalize that the American people did not personally reject him, but instead rejected his ticket because of legitimate concerns about the qualifications of Sarah Palin.

What McCain and the GOP have done, essentially amounts to a punt.  They are resigned to losing to Obama in 2008, then run 24/7 interference during an Obama Presidency, retool and try their chances again in 2012.  If this was a runaway basketball game you would say that the McCain Campaign has pulled its starters. 

Now the real challenge for Team Obama and Biden is to stay focused and not reduce its game to the level of its competition.  In other words, like any disciplined team that wants to protect its lead, Team Obama and Biden should not pull its starters or change to a zone defense, but instead keep its full court press intact.  Otherwise, Barack Obama and Joe Biden could end up adding their names to the long list of better qualified but overly-confident teams, that ended up losing to a lesser opponent.

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.

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.