"But I never thought it was my style or the words I used...It was the content. I wasn't a great communicator, but I communicated great things, and they didn't spring full bloom from my brow, they came from the heart of a great nation - from our experience, our wisdom, and our belief in the principles that have guided us for two centuries. They called it the Reagan revolution. Well, I'll accept that, but for me it always seemed more like the great rediscovery...of our values and our common sense..."
- Ronald Reagan: Farewell Address, Oval Office, January 11, 1989
Values and common sense are not partisan themes, but instead represent intergenerational principles that nearly all Americans hold as self-evident. Recent elections have produced victories that transcended party affiliation and polling. New Jersey's Chris Christie, Virginia's Bob McDonnell, and Massachusett's Scott Brown succeeded in communicating American values and common sense in a manner easily understood and rewarded by their respective electorates. Florida's Marco Rubio and Michigan's Mike Cox are likewise engaging in constructive, solution-oriented campaigns in 2010.
Each of these leaders has well understood that burdensome issues met with well-reasoned solutions may be communicated without partisan rancor so that a greater percentage of family men and women can intelligently discern and decide whom to elect as a leader.
As leaders and advisors of leaders, we must spend less time doling out red meat speeches to our loyal perennial base, and devote more of our time listening to, researching, and developing comprehensive solutions to challenges facing Independents and those outside of our traditional party tent. If we fail to constructively address a broader range of concerns than those that have served as solid sound bites, then we will find the 2010 election cycle underwhelming.
Not every issue must be met with "us-versus-them" rhetoric. As leaders we must be willing to identify issues that are currently garnering support for our opponents and develop competitive, cost-effective and realistic solutions that provide real choices to attract Independent voters whose loyalties are to values and common sense...not to elephants and donkeys. Or you cleave to base-pleasing positions largely ignored by Independents and lose the increasingly Independent electorate to an opponent willing to provide those solutions.
Principles of values and common sense must always undergird our policies, but the needs of our electorate and of our nation at large must always guide the comprehensive solutions that spring forth from our policies.
TODAY'S QUESTION: Will you be leading a diverse electorate to victory and real family-focused solutions in that "shining city upon a hill", or will you be simply preaching to the choir in sound bites?
Showing posts with label victory. Show all posts
Showing posts with label victory. Show all posts
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Monday, December 7, 2009
UNANIMOUS CONSENT: VICTORY WITH HONOR
"You give me your shield of victory,
And your right hand sustains me;
You stoop down to make me great."
-Psalm 18
"Today we did what we had to do. They counted on America to be passive. They were wrong."
And your right hand sustains me;
You stoop down to make me great."
-Psalm 18
-Ronald Reagan
Today, as every day, I thank our veterans and active duty and reserve service members. No just war is entered into casually or without gut-wrenching deliberation given to the certain peril of our nation's sons & daughters, fathers & mothers, brothers & sisters. The entry into the Pacific theater that followed the bombing at Pearl Harbor and the horrific bombing of that September 11th both necessitated that our nation do "what we had to do." Vietnam, Korea, Bosnia, Somalia and the first Gulf War were no less challenging. America always leads when called to action.
When our last Commander-in-Chief of our armed forces sent my brother, sister and brother-in-law to fight the War on Terror, along with hundreds of thousands of our brave service members, I believed (and still believe) that his decision was guided by wise counsel from above, sincere counsel from military leaders, and studied counsel from civilian leaders. Partisanship does not and cannot enter into the decision to deploy troops to safeguard the security of our Great Nation and its global security interests. Thus, I will likewise support the decision of the leaders who will redeploy my sister next year. I do not allow partisanship to enter into an arena where consensus is required to save lives.
War is expensive, but defeat is far more expensive. Peace is preferred, but passivity in the face of terrorism weakens a nation. We will eventually depart militarily from Afghanistan and Iraq, and our Nation will do so victoriously with Honor.
Thus, I move for unanimous consent...on the issue of the successful, fully-funded, fully-resourced prosecution of the War on Terror and full aftercare for our brave veterans upon their return. We are not a nation of warmongers, so we must trust our military leadership when they lead our troops toward victory. Save the partisan put-downs for debates over pork barrell projects!
There is no time for filibusters, holds, and delay on decisions that provide adequate reinforcements, armor, provisions, vehicles, artillery, and veterans benefits. We all can appreciate meaningful debate and the yearning for peace sooner than later, but God help the member of Congress whose partisan delay tactic allows one more soldier, sailor or marine to lay dying on the foreign battlefield for want of armor, ammunition, or reinforcements. That brave service member did NOT volunteer to become a partisan pawn in a cable news sound bite --he/she volunteered to protect our nation and bring home Victory with Honor.
TODAY'S QUESTION: Can we put aside petty partisanship on matters of successfully prosecuting and provisioning the War on Terror until the victory has been concluded and our troops have safely returned?
Thursday, November 5, 2009
YOUR AUDIENCE: THE INDEPENDENT ELECTORATE
When the media spin is peeled away from the November 3, 2009 election results, one sees the unvarnished result in the seeming hodge-podge of results across the spectrum: the Independent Electorate spoke for themselves at the ballot box.
One can reconcile the seemingly diverse results of well-won gubernatorial victories by Bob McDonnell (VA) and Chris Christie (NJ), Michael Bloomberg's 3rd-term mayoral victory in the Big Apple, and Bill Owen's century-aged Democratic victory in the NY-23 congressional district within the context of voters choosing the candidates that they themselves perceived to be the best qualified to address their respective local, state and national issues.
Particularly in the Virginia and New Jersey contests, both victors sincerely and consistently engaged the citizens of their states in real dialogue so that they, as candidates, could develop broad-based plans to address their citizens' concerns. The 2010 gubernatorial contests in Texas (Governor Rick Perry) and Michigan (current Attorney General Mike Cox) reflect similar genuine family-focused, pro-free market solutions to the real challenges facing men and women, business leaders, and municipalities. Particularly in Michigan, candidate Mike Cox continues his genuine, heart-felt mission of representing ALL citizens with his well-researched, comprehensive practical plan to rejuvinate Michigan on several critical fronts (see: http://www.mikecox2010.com/putting-michigan-back-to-work/).
The victors in local, state, and national elections in 2010 (much like 2008 & 2009) will be drawn from the men and women who propose comprehensive, practical solutions. The real challenges facing our nation's citizens know no partisan bounds. Unemployment, high taxes, lost health insurance, foreclosure, and crime cut deeply through Republican, Democrat, and Independent families, farms, and business alike. While bitter, partisan punditry may make for entertaining cable news shows, only REAL solutions that address REAL FAMILY & BUSINESS concerns will lead that ever-important Independent Electorate to pull your lever in 2010.
TODAY'S QUESTION: What are YOU doing to engage YOUR electorate personally to sincerely identify the pressing challenges and craft meaningful solutions that will ensure the resurgence family and business financial security?
One can reconcile the seemingly diverse results of well-won gubernatorial victories by Bob McDonnell (VA) and Chris Christie (NJ), Michael Bloomberg's 3rd-term mayoral victory in the Big Apple, and Bill Owen's century-aged Democratic victory in the NY-23 congressional district within the context of voters choosing the candidates that they themselves perceived to be the best qualified to address their respective local, state and national issues.
Particularly in the Virginia and New Jersey contests, both victors sincerely and consistently engaged the citizens of their states in real dialogue so that they, as candidates, could develop broad-based plans to address their citizens' concerns. The 2010 gubernatorial contests in Texas (Governor Rick Perry) and Michigan (current Attorney General Mike Cox) reflect similar genuine family-focused, pro-free market solutions to the real challenges facing men and women, business leaders, and municipalities. Particularly in Michigan, candidate Mike Cox continues his genuine, heart-felt mission of representing ALL citizens with his well-researched, comprehensive practical plan to rejuvinate Michigan on several critical fronts (see: http://www.mikecox2010.com/putting-michigan-back-to-work/).
The victors in local, state, and national elections in 2010 (much like 2008 & 2009) will be drawn from the men and women who propose comprehensive, practical solutions. The real challenges facing our nation's citizens know no partisan bounds. Unemployment, high taxes, lost health insurance, foreclosure, and crime cut deeply through Republican, Democrat, and Independent families, farms, and business alike. While bitter, partisan punditry may make for entertaining cable news shows, only REAL solutions that address REAL FAMILY & BUSINESS concerns will lead that ever-important Independent Electorate to pull your lever in 2010.
TODAY'S QUESTION: What are YOU doing to engage YOUR electorate personally to sincerely identify the pressing challenges and craft meaningful solutions that will ensure the resurgence family and business financial security?
Thursday, October 8, 2009
YOU: THE GREAT COMMUNICATOR
Ronald Reagan's 1976 is for many a forgotten footnote in the annals of history. Instead we should recognize its similarities to December 1773 aboard the cargo ship in Boston Harbor, followed by the tumult of 1775 and the Spirit of 1776. Recall that when the War ended and the Constitution had been signed, many who had previously been in opposition to the Colonists eventually came to be governed by the new nation. We saw such consensus-building on the heels of defeat occur again following the Civil War, when the opponents again recognized the greater value in healing the nation and looking forward.
I have spoken earlier of the importance of adhering to our principles, even in periods of legislative loss, and continuing to convey those principles (and the solutions they undergird) in the most pro-active and broad-based manner possible.
Recall Reagan's smile...his charm...his wit. Reach back into your memory of the 1980 Presidential debate and hear Ronald Reagan chide Jimmy Carter to a knowing American audience, "There he goes again!" America nodded in agreement all the way to the ballot box that year. Yet, Ronald Reagan never had to resort to banal name-calling, slander or lies against his enemies. No, President Reagan needed only to communicate to America why conservative principles, as intended by our Founders, could pull the nation out of deep recession, draw back the Iron Curtain, and restore Faith to families regardless of political affiliation.
When a conservative prevails in an election, he/she prevails because members of both major political parties, as well as a significant percentage of Independents have embraced his/her sincere message. As I mentioned in a previous segment, electoral victories are no longer won simply by garnering the votes of one party. Real solutions will affect partisans and non-partisans alike, just as real challenges (unemployment, loss of health care, crime) do not stop only at the doorsteps of Democrats or Republicans.
The United States of America was founded by God-fearing and spriritual individuals, committed not to anarchy but committed to balanced federalism, free markets, and strong national defense. More than two centuries later, a majority of Americans continue to adhere to these conservative principles and passionately shun losses of civil and fiscal liberty at the hand of bureaucratic legislatures and executives. When you win your election, you represent not only your supporters but also those voters who had opposed you. We must be principled enough to boldly represent our entire electorate once the votes have been cast.
We must continue in our grassroots efforts and public campaigns for office to emphasize that we have the solutions that will deliver bi-partisan and non-partisan healing. Smile more, explain plainly, engender trust with your sincerity...and when you must draw distinction between your solid solutions and your opponents failed policies, do so with a wit and a knowing wink that would make President Reagan proud.
TODAY'S QUESTION: How can you improve your message to emphasize your principled, practical solutions in a manner that appeals broadly across party lines.
I have spoken earlier of the importance of adhering to our principles, even in periods of legislative loss, and continuing to convey those principles (and the solutions they undergird) in the most pro-active and broad-based manner possible.
Recall Reagan's smile...his charm...his wit. Reach back into your memory of the 1980 Presidential debate and hear Ronald Reagan chide Jimmy Carter to a knowing American audience, "There he goes again!" America nodded in agreement all the way to the ballot box that year. Yet, Ronald Reagan never had to resort to banal name-calling, slander or lies against his enemies. No, President Reagan needed only to communicate to America why conservative principles, as intended by our Founders, could pull the nation out of deep recession, draw back the Iron Curtain, and restore Faith to families regardless of political affiliation.
When a conservative prevails in an election, he/she prevails because members of both major political parties, as well as a significant percentage of Independents have embraced his/her sincere message. As I mentioned in a previous segment, electoral victories are no longer won simply by garnering the votes of one party. Real solutions will affect partisans and non-partisans alike, just as real challenges (unemployment, loss of health care, crime) do not stop only at the doorsteps of Democrats or Republicans.
The United States of America was founded by God-fearing and spriritual individuals, committed not to anarchy but committed to balanced federalism, free markets, and strong national defense. More than two centuries later, a majority of Americans continue to adhere to these conservative principles and passionately shun losses of civil and fiscal liberty at the hand of bureaucratic legislatures and executives. When you win your election, you represent not only your supporters but also those voters who had opposed you. We must be principled enough to boldly represent our entire electorate once the votes have been cast.
We must continue in our grassroots efforts and public campaigns for office to emphasize that we have the solutions that will deliver bi-partisan and non-partisan healing. Smile more, explain plainly, engender trust with your sincerity...and when you must draw distinction between your solid solutions and your opponents failed policies, do so with a wit and a knowing wink that would make President Reagan proud.
TODAY'S QUESTION: How can you improve your message to emphasize your principled, practical solutions in a manner that appeals broadly across party lines.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
VISION TO VICTORY
Ronald Reagan had it; Governor Rick Perry has it. Do you have it? If not, you'd better get it...so that others will get it.
Every election will be decided when the independents lean in. You want a clear landslide--but you'll win with 50.1% . The right and the left will reliably remain loyal. Always. But the most recent presidential election differed from the 2000 presidential election simply because the independents leaned in a different direction.
Independents lean toward the most compelling vision, and then cast votes in the hope that the future will be better than the past. Ronald Reagan emerged at a time when America perceived that its President had yielded too much ground both at home (think Energy Crisis) and abroad (think Iranian Hostages). Ronald Reagan delivered confidence, growth, and patriotism to a nation that sorely needed it. Reagan successfully worked within his party and across party lines, ideological lines, and oceans.
More recently, Governor Rick Perry has skillfully guided Texas through the nation's economic turmoil. Education, entrepreneurship, clean energy, construction, and healthcare have all improved and prospered under his leadership. Texas' future looks equally bright under his continued leadership, because Governor Perry communicates his vision through actions that families and business leaders readily identify with and embrace.
Fear, negativity, and obstruction only have so much mileage. Name-calling and demagoguery provide red meat for pundits until the next news story comes along. But families and business leaders look for tangible results and then vote accordingly.
Reagan and Perry, both smart leaders, have understood that the people (the voters) want to trust, identify with, and believe in their elected leaders. Their visions convey optimism without yielding values and principles. Both leaders could disagree with others without being disagreeable, both domestically and internationally. Leading from a vision of growth, optimism and consensus-building, effective governance has followed.
TODAY'S QUESTION: How are YOU going to convey your PRINCIPLES and VALUES so that the deciding majority embraces your VISION?
Every election will be decided when the independents lean in. You want a clear landslide--but you'll win with 50.1% . The right and the left will reliably remain loyal. Always. But the most recent presidential election differed from the 2000 presidential election simply because the independents leaned in a different direction.
Independents lean toward the most compelling vision, and then cast votes in the hope that the future will be better than the past. Ronald Reagan emerged at a time when America perceived that its President had yielded too much ground both at home (think Energy Crisis) and abroad (think Iranian Hostages). Ronald Reagan delivered confidence, growth, and patriotism to a nation that sorely needed it. Reagan successfully worked within his party and across party lines, ideological lines, and oceans.
More recently, Governor Rick Perry has skillfully guided Texas through the nation's economic turmoil. Education, entrepreneurship, clean energy, construction, and healthcare have all improved and prospered under his leadership. Texas' future looks equally bright under his continued leadership, because Governor Perry communicates his vision through actions that families and business leaders readily identify with and embrace.
Fear, negativity, and obstruction only have so much mileage. Name-calling and demagoguery provide red meat for pundits until the next news story comes along. But families and business leaders look for tangible results and then vote accordingly.
Reagan and Perry, both smart leaders, have understood that the people (the voters) want to trust, identify with, and believe in their elected leaders. Their visions convey optimism without yielding values and principles. Both leaders could disagree with others without being disagreeable, both domestically and internationally. Leading from a vision of growth, optimism and consensus-building, effective governance has followed.
TODAY'S QUESTION: How are YOU going to convey your PRINCIPLES and VALUES so that the deciding majority embraces your VISION?
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
THE MARGIN OF VICTORY
Bill and Bob had taken their families to the zoo one fine Sunday afternoon. While their wives had taken the children over to the ice cream stand, Bill and Bob stood admiring the lions in their natural habitat exhibit. The lions looked hungry, licking their chops in anticipation of the next feeding.
Suddenly one of the lions jumped over the enclosure from the rocky perch and landed on the concrete pedestrian walkway. Bill looked at Bob, terrified, and exclaimed, "Do you think you can outrun a hungry lion?" Bob replied smiling over his shoulder as he took off, "No, but I think I can outrun you."
Campaigns are won by a margin of victory, sometimes (as in the examples of Bush v. Gore and Franken v. Coleman) quite slim. But a victory is a victory nonetheless. At the pre-primary stage of many contests you will find a field of mostly well-meaning individuals committed to principles and ideals, and as the election cycle continues, those who are focused upon the "lion" begin to fade away. The contest ultimately ends when one individual remains statistically ahead of his/her final competitor(s), even if only fractionally so.
Every race of consequence will have its valiant heroes willing to stand entirely upon one or a few pungent issues that fan the passions of a core constituency. Much media attention may even be paid to the fervor. But as the last confetti and balloons fall, the man/woman who outran the lion is the individual who put forth the issues that propelled him/her beyond the fearful footfalls of the lion's prey, who only a few months before may have stood side-by-side peering into the lion's den. The electorate will judge which candidate put forth the critical solutions...with its hearts and minds [and feet] on election day.
TODAY'S QUESTION: Are YOU putting forth the critical solutions that address the issues and win the hearts and minds...or will the lion eat YOU?
Suddenly one of the lions jumped over the enclosure from the rocky perch and landed on the concrete pedestrian walkway. Bill looked at Bob, terrified, and exclaimed, "Do you think you can outrun a hungry lion?" Bob replied smiling over his shoulder as he took off, "No, but I think I can outrun you."
Campaigns are won by a margin of victory, sometimes (as in the examples of Bush v. Gore and Franken v. Coleman) quite slim. But a victory is a victory nonetheless. At the pre-primary stage of many contests you will find a field of mostly well-meaning individuals committed to principles and ideals, and as the election cycle continues, those who are focused upon the "lion" begin to fade away. The contest ultimately ends when one individual remains statistically ahead of his/her final competitor(s), even if only fractionally so.
Every race of consequence will have its valiant heroes willing to stand entirely upon one or a few pungent issues that fan the passions of a core constituency. Much media attention may even be paid to the fervor. But as the last confetti and balloons fall, the man/woman who outran the lion is the individual who put forth the issues that propelled him/her beyond the fearful footfalls of the lion's prey, who only a few months before may have stood side-by-side peering into the lion's den. The electorate will judge which candidate put forth the critical solutions...with its hearts and minds [and feet] on election day.
TODAY'S QUESTION: Are YOU putting forth the critical solutions that address the issues and win the hearts and minds...or will the lion eat YOU?
Monday, April 27, 2009
YOUR PROUDEST MOMENTS
There will certainly be times when life's troubling events appear to cloud (and perhaps even rain upon) your vision for yourself. We've all been there. Though the events may differ from person to person, the effects often share common threads:
- Lack of momentum
- Loss of focus
- Doubt about purpose
- Fear
What can you do? Well, for starters let's do something counterintuitive. I want you to look as far back into your own personal history as you can...look back into your childhood, if possible. Think about something unpleasant that you experienced, endured. And overcame.
Yes, as disconcerting as that old memory may have been, you can recognize that whatever challege it posed to you back then eventually passed away. All gone. You overcame the fear, the doubt. You regained focus and you created momentum. Heck! You're still here to recall it and it didn't kill you--even if at the time you thought it might.
I would propose that as much fun as it might have been to win an award, ace a test, receive a promotion, hold your newborn child...that some of your proudest moments in retrospect were the moments that you thought you'd never survive. Yet, I would go on to say that it was those very gut-wrenching, embarassing, painful experiences that forged the faith, love, drive and perseverence that you exhibit today. Celebrate your proudest moments...
TODAY'S QUESTION: What challening chapter in your personal past has proven to be the bedrock upon which you have lived some of YOUR proudest moments?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
