LEADERSHIP CULTIVATION

Sometimes A Burden Goes Undetected...Until It's Removed

The Wizard of Oz is one of my favorite movies.  It is filled with many transformations.  One of the most memorable ones is the scene where the house falls on the wicked witch of the west.  The black and white movie transformed into color and instantly everything became brighter.  That's the feeling I got when Barack Obama was declared President-Elect.  Instantly everything became brighter.  And when Barack spoke to the people, tears flowed like the Nile River.

They were tears of joy and tears of disbelief.  Like most Black people in America and apparently a lot of White people too, I never thought that in my lifetime, I would see a Black man elected President of the United States. I know that the country talks a good game when it comes to equal rights, but on this night, actions spoke louder than words. I felt a burden lifted from my shoulders that quite frankly I didn't know existed.  Something magical had happened. It was a transformational moment. 

It was as if for the first time in the history of the America, Black people had been granted full citizenship.  The reality was overwhelming. Jesse Jackson cried. Colin Powell cried. Condoleezza Rice cried. Even Barack Obama's Fox News nemesis, Juan Williams, cried.  All accomplished Americans, they too were overcome by emotions that refused to wait for a private moment.  And it wasn't just Black people that experienced that Twilight Zone feeling. I saw that same look of disbelief in the faces of White Americans as well. And they also were not immune to emotional release. Stephen Colbert on Comedy Central cried and White commentators interviewing crying Black people, cried as well. 

Barack Obama had said that now was our time for change. He had inspired us with his words and now been chosen to lead us.  And John McCain was so gracious in defeat.  Even though Obama was not the unanimous choice of White Americans, it doesn't matter.  No longer can it be said that America will not elect a Black person as president. Black Americans now look at White Americans differently and there is absolutely nothing that they can do about it. There is a feeling of greater trust. And the so-called great divide between Black and Hispanic Americans is now formally declared a myth.  A transformational event has taken place and a burden that many of us didn't realize existed, has been lifted.

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.

A NC Wish for a Palin-Only Ticket and Signs of an Obama Victory

The North Carolina GOP is a disillusioned mess.  NC Republicans and some faux Democrats are surely depressed about the waning prospect that North Carolina will remain in the GOP column in 2008.  And disregard that Rasmussen Poll nonsense showing John McCain with a two-point lead.  North Carolina voters prefer Barack Obama and the telltale signs are still in place.  And the signs are growing.  In rush hour traffic on Friday, I was shocked to see that the McCain/Palin bumper sticker on the truck in front of me...was minus the McCain.  The driver showed outright contempt for McCain by displaying only "Palin".  A sign of the times?  Maybe. McCain may be wise to spend less time running negative Obama ads and spend more time reining in fellow Republicans who are starting to abandon his sinking ship.

Jesse Helms wouldn't recognize this North Carolina.  While McCain slept, Obama quietly surrounded the fort.  It's been a long time since any Democratic presidential candidate has enjoyed the kind of widespread support that Obama now has in North Carolina. But don't expect any Obama premature victory lap, the Obama Campaign is not taking North Carolina for granted.  With the Obama Campaign "fight until the last vote is counted strategy", I predict that Obama will win North Carolina in a manner reminiscent of the way that Usain Bolt won his Olympic medals.  And the Obama victory will have coattails. 

Kay Hagan is almost certain to unseat the North Carolina Senator from Kansas, Libby Dole, and Bev Perdue will win a closely contested governor's race and defeat Pat McCrory who is giving her a run for her money. Give McCrory, the Charlotte mayor, credit for being smart enough not to alienate Obama supporters with whom he hopes to garner some measure of favor.  All in all, it's been a great year to follow North Carolina politics.  And the person most responsible is Barack Obama.  It is satisfying to witness that most Americans including North Carolinians see the value in having a leader that possesses the ability to inspire its people to transform a nation.

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.

Unprepared McCain Ducks and Runs From Competition

We have heard all too often that John McCain is a great war hero. Granted. But when our war hero was presented with his latest opportunity to show his bravery, he ducked and ran from of all things a debate against Barack Obama that may require him to answer some tough questions about the economy. When America badly wants to hear from McCain and Obama, one of whom will be the next President, to say that McCain is running scare would be an understatement.

Maybe someone will tell McCain that it's hard to lead from the rear.  The debate is tomorrow night and the State of Mississippi has invested a lot of time and money in the preparation of the debate site.  Obama to his credit, recognizes that the President must multi-task even when the going gets tough and still plans to show up for the debate with or without McCain.  Someone should tell McCain that if he fails to reverse his dumb political stunt and is M.I.A. for the debate, the beating that he is receiving now in the polls will be child's play compared to the whipping he will endure after tomorrow night.

At no time in recent history has America needed leadership as much as it needs it right now with the country being threatened with a financial collapse and with war still raging in Iraq.  McCain had a golden opportunity to show Americans that he was ready to lead, but instead disengaged from a hotly contested presidential race against Obama who he obviously feels unprepared to debate.  Most Americans are left scratching their heads like they were when McCain showed another lapse in judgment by his selection of a dangerously unprepared Sarah Palin as his running mate.  Presidential decision making capacity?  Debatable.

Obama Makes Blue Gains, McCain Seeks To Redshirt His Campaign

John McCain and his advisers know that he is in trouble when the polls show the presidential contest even.  Now when the latest Washington Post national poll show Barack Obama turning the country  Democratic blue with his nine-point lead over McCain, it's panic time for the GOP.  McCain and his advisers are in disarray and desperately seek to stem the tide by any means necessary. Their initial response was to refute the polling data as bogus, but that is tame compared to what McCain and his advisers are now trying to accomplish.  Fully realizing the necessity to stop the Obama surge before it's too late, McCain has announced the suspension of his presidential campaign.  He has taken this unprecedented action supposedly to focus full attention on the current economic crisis.  In addition, McCain wants to postpone his Friday debate with Obama.

To use a sports analogy, athletes often seek a postponement or red-shirt from competition when they lack adequate preparation. Therefore, I suspect the unspoken reason that McCain is seeking a postponement is because he feels inadequately prepared to face Obama in a debate on Friday. In essence, McCain wants red-shirt status in the homestretch of a presidential contest to avoid falling further behind Obama in the polls.

It wouldn't surprise me if McCain also tried to delay the presidential election...until he is ready.  For someone who brags about being ready to assume the presidency on Day One, McCain is not even ready to debate his opponent on Day One. As more Americans turn their attention to the serious business of electing the next president, when they objectively assess the qualifications of McCain and Obama, McCain will be rejected as an unacceptable candidate.  No longer a straight talker, McCain seems to have lost his way. He is running a typical slash and burn GOP campaign strategy overflowing with personal attacks, innuendos and flat out lies about Obama. Dishonesty reigns.

Even today when Obama reached out to McCain with an offer to tackle the economic crisis in a nonpartisan manner, McCain shamelessly tried to take advantage of Obama's gesture by claiming to be its originator.  What a peculiar way to build trust and lay a foundation for reaching across the aisle.  That kind of behavior will only assure a continuation of Washington gridlock. Nevertheless, the game continues.  No one knows when McCain will unveil his next brilliant idea.  However, if his un-presidential attempt to red-shirt is any indication, no one but McCain's most ardent supporters expect his idea to be anything remotely compelling.

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.

Rothschild McCain Endorsement Marks Return of Silly Season

Say it ain't so!  Another sore loser gone wild?  Barack Obama warned us that this was the silly season of politics.  He also pointed out that Republicans must think that the American people are really stupid.  Add to that list of people who think that we are really stupid, Republicans who masquerade as Democrats as in the person of one Lynn Forester de Rothschild.  After reading that Rothschild doesn't like Obama because she thinks that he is elitist, I had a compulsion to hear what other gobbly goop would emerge from between her privileged lips. So this afternoon I listened to Rothschild's press conference and wasn't surprised when she showered us with a generous portion of more nonsense.

Allow me to comment on some of Rothschild's more outrageous reasons for endorsing the McCain-Palin ticket. Maybe we should begin by telling Lynn that with a name like Forester de Rothschild with residences in both the U.S. and England and being married into one of the world's wealthiest families, just maybe her assessment that Obama is elitist is not creditable.  Maybe she misspoke.  Maybe the descriptive word she was really searching for was uppity. Uppity.  Hmmmm, now that is interesting.

When Rothschild tried to discount Obama's contributions to ethics reform in the Senate, she blurted out that "Facts matter, Mr. Obama!" Hmmmm, facts matter, Mr. Obama.  I guess Rothschild deliberately added "Mr. Obama" to the end of her statement because she didn't want anyone to be confused with her seemingly contradictory feelings that "facts don't matter, Mr. McCain" or "facts don't matter, Mrs. Palin."  Interesting.  The old double standard lives. 

Something else I found amusing was Rothschild's assertion that Sen. Obama would be unduly influenced by Nancy Pelosi and Howard Dean and the centrist viewpoint would be non-existent.  In fact she finds that prospect, "terrifying!" That's beyond interesting, that's perplexing. Terrified that the country would move too far to the left, but not terrified with the prospect of another Bush-like president in John McCain who showed questionable judgment with his selection of a running mate enormously unqualified to be a heartbeat away from the Presidency.  Now as the saying goes, if that's not terrifying, then I don't know what terrifying is.  And apparently neither does Lynn.

Lastly, Rothschild "hopes her decision to publicly endorse McCain will give like-minded Democrats the confidence [or cover] to follow suit."  First of all Lynn, you are not a Democrat and there probably aren't a lot of similarly filthy-rich Democrats walking around in a like-mind that unlike yourself are immuned to the negative effects of a failing economy run into the ground under the leadership of Republicans. Yep, there probably aren't a lot of like-minded Democrats who are oblivious to high gas prices, inadequate health care for their families, no money to send their kids to college, not enough disposable income to help an aging parent, or indifferent to the plight of the American military fighting a war in a distant land who can't count on their families being taken care of back home. Good luck with your quest.

Yes Barack, it really is the silly season of politics, but because of the serious state of affairs, it is not a laughing matter.  We do not need more Rothschild clones still smarting from the defeat of their favorite candidate.  We need more like-minded Americans commited to turning away from more of the same and possessing the wisdom to embrace your idea of change that we can believe in.  By faith, I remain hopeful.

Pollsters and GOP Lack Walter Cronkite-Like Standard

A few days ago, I opined that any poll of likely voters is extremely unreliable for this 2008 Presidential Election.  It appears that Dick Diver of the DailyKos agrees with my sentiments.  According to Diver, the well-regarded Gallup Poll intentionally changed their polling methodology to favorably skew the bounce that John McCain got coming out of the GOP Convention. The poll of likely voters showed McCain with a 54-44 lead over Barack Obama. That's significant because a poll of likely voters showing an even contest, spells big trouble for the GOP because "likely voters" overlook new voters and Democratic-leaning voters that primarily use cellphones i.e. the young. 

Embellishment of the facts all too frequently have become standard operating procedures for the McCain Campaign. You know things have gotten bad when conservatives take conservatives to task as Andrew Sullivan recently did with Sarah Palin and Karl Rove with the McCain Campaign. Telling the truth is important again?  It appears that the McCain and Palin honeymoon has officially ended.  Now maybe we can talk about things that really matter such as how McCain helped invent the Blackberry.  But seriously, where can we turn to get Walter Cronkite-like integrity. 

Until recently, I thought the place to go to was POTUS '08, Channel 130 on XM Radio. "Politically neutral." Maybe sometimes, but not this morning. Today as I listened to Scott Walterman, host of the "The Morning Briefing", interview Susie Turnbull of the DNC, I was taken aback by the flippant manner that Walterman tried to refute most of what Turnbull had to say about McCain. Turnbull talked about how McCain was making the claim that the U.S. economy was still strong despite the problems on Wall Street.  Walterman spent too much time trying to defend McCain. Walterman acted like McCain's press secretary and awkwardly injected how polls showed that McCain was gaining in New Jersey and even managed to snidely remark how Obama would travel to Hollywood later in the day. "Unbiased".  How do you define unbiased? A like-minded irritated listener emailed Walterman and offered an accurate description of his conduct, "bag of hot air".

So the lesson to the wise, don't sweat the small stuff.  Clueless polls numbers or hot air commentators are definitely small stuff. Seeing beyond the trees is not their strong suit. They lack vision. Don't perish with them and don't let them drain your energy. Instead participate in the only poll that really matters. Vote for real change in November.

McCain vs. Obama Polls Forecast Trouble For GOP

Driven by Jerry Springer-type reporting from the mainstream media, current polling data of likely voter preferences show that the presidential contest between Barack Obama and John McCain is in a dead heat. On the surface, it may appear that the Obama Campaign has lost its mojo as a result of the media frenzy surrounding the selection of Sarah Palin as McCain's running mate. However, if you take a deeper look, you will find Obama still sitting in the catbird seat.

It is undeniable that McCain fueled by the addition of Palin, has made a small dent into Obama's lead. McCain and his surrogates also have been playing the media to guarantee favorable reporting about Palin.  At every turn the GOP has been yelling foul in order to provide cover for Palin who is neither ready for primetime nor ready to be a heartbeat away from the presidency.  Nevertheless, the GOP strategy has found some success, but there are signs that the media honeymoon for McCain and Palin is about to end.

The media has started to call McCain and his surrogates on the carpet for making a series of false and misleading statements about Obama and for routinely using questionable talking points that cast Palin in a more positive light.  Compounding McCain's problems is the return of Obama from what some have felt was too passive a stay on the sidelines. However Democrats cannot help but be encouraged that Obama appears refreshed and ready for hand-to-hand combat for the final phase of the 2008 presidential contest. So at this point in the game, being even in a poll of likely voters is not a reason for celebration for the McCain camp, but a reason for extreme concern.

The GOP are scared silly because they realize that a dead heat of likely voters spells trouble.  In 2008, the historical voting preferences for "likely voters" does not include the voter intent of the millions of cellphone-toting, new and highly motivated Barack Obama supporters that are absolutely giddy with excitement as they await the opportunity to cast votes for Obama in numbers so astounding that political pundits will be left speechless.

So for anyone who may think otherwise, the Obama phenomenon and movement is still running on a full tank. In fact the Obama tank is so full that McCain is attempting to siphon off Obama's idea of change. Well imagine that.  McCain, since picking Palin as a running mate, now touts change as a more important presidential qualifier than experience. A hardy welcome aboard John. Better late than never.  However, your idea of change is not change that the American people can afford to believe in.