The biggest surprise in New Jersey is the Governor’s commitment to honor his campaign commitments to shrink the size of state government, cut spending and taxes, and get the state’s finances back on track. We know that campaigns are only meant to get people elected – in truth, is there such a thing as an honest, authentic politician?
But Governor Christie asserts he is not a politician – his job is to govern, and no one needs to wonder what he thinks – he’ll tell them. If Christie stays the course, he will create a new paradigm of political leadership, accentuating the leader and minimizing the political. So far, he’s standing firm. Perhaps the Governor can transform a state that’s in serious financial trouble.
Take a look at Christie’s response to a liberal reporter in last week’s press conference.
The news of a first bipartisan brainstorming session on Tuesday reflects a dramatic shift in White House strategy and substance according to the New York Times. But, after a year of one-party rule, secret sessions, and political pay-offs in return for legislative votes, it is highly unlikely that the proclaimed change will transform politics and policy-making in Washington.
The President’s motivation to announce this change is easy to explain. He appears to be adjusting his leadership stance so he can successfully advance health care reform. Confrontation and exclusion have not worked for Barack Obama. Is the new “bipartisan” face real or a political set-up to pass Obama Care? And will the “shift” save this presidency? Continue reading…
If the product is flawed, what can we say about the leadership that produced it?
When selling a successful idea, the most capable marketers rarely market the facts, says marketing guru Seth Godin. They present stories that match the worldview of the people in their audience.
Elected officials often take the same approach, using stories and interesting twists to hide the facts, especially when facts are controversial.
Although the majority of Americans are strongly against passing the health care bill, David Axelrod, the President’s closest advisor, said it would be popular once people learned more about it. Continue reading…
I watch the soap opera in Washington with great amazement and a bit of anxiety. Our leaders appear to be taking the country down a road filled with minefields. They speak with distain about Wall Street bankers who were about to drive the country off the cliff, yet fail to see that’s exactly where they could be heading – by creating waves of excessive spending, trillions in new debt, and political maneuvers designed to hide the truth from American citizens, voters, taxpayers.
Although candidate Obama argued for a bipartisan culture, his leadership has created something very different. In the past few weeks, the administration has heightened its attacks against its enemies: Continue reading…
