Campaign Stops

By Helen Fogarassy

Nearly a year into a relatively liberal administration elected after eight conservative years, America’s new President took responsibility for the country being more divided than ever. In an interview with People Magazine, he said that bridging the divide would be a priority in his second year.

The contrast to that goal was provided by the losing vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin, whose visibility continued to dominate the media precisely because she was a loser able to capitalize on losses by a feisty show of good spirit. In the latest of her roles since resigning her elected office as Governor of Alaska, she took a break from promoting her “autobiographical” Going Rogue to take up a position as political commentator on the conservative Fox News channel on what ABC News described as a multi-year contract. Based on past performance, that arrangement could obviously be instantly scrapped if another position took her fancy, such as Presidency of the United States, an opportunity that could come her way by assuming leadership of the grassroots “tea party” movement as she was slated to do within a month.

No doubt Palin’s chipper attitude and homey mannerisms account for part of the continued interest in some of the American public to continue viewing her. Wide-eyed and rosy-cheeked with frontier upswept dos while sporting red power suits or chic Yukon caps, she comes off with a disarming style that allows for the utterance of romantic truisms about America and modern life in a way that makes illogic seem no more serious than a charming quirkiness expected of a woman in conservative circles.

President Obama, on the other hand, seems to continue growing much too serious for the liking of Americans since he took the helm of office. Perhaps because they’re still adjusting to the unusual mix of dark skin and an intelligence level expected of whites, Americans can’t seem to find satisfaction with any accomplishment he manages to implement. Few give him credit for negotiating the mounting opposition unleashed by disillusioned leftist supporters and conservative tea-partiers inspired by Sarah Palin.

As 2010 America goes forward in a global world, the contrast of the two faces serves as a reminder of the condition that led America to take a chance on the western industrialized world’s first non-white leader. That was a global economic crisis unseen since the Great Depression of the 1930’s. It was created by the deregulated, unilateralist policies of America’s last “pale male” conservative administration.

On January 13, the day after Palin’s debut on Fox news, the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission began its work in earnest. On the first day of hearings, the four heads America’s biggest financial institutions admitted to having made mistakes that contributed to the crisis, including the assumption of too much risk and failure to foresee how greatly their actions would impact on the American and global economy.

As those banking titans gave their testimony to the Commission, America was joined with the world in sending aid to earthquake shattered Haiti. It was also juggling volatile situations in the Middle East and strategizing on how to deal with burgeoning terrorist cells in locations such as Yemen.

In view of all that, America would be well-served if its people recognized reality. There is a reason why the new President’s expression has grown serious during his first year in office while the losing vice-presidential candidate’s has remained virtually unchanged.

Promoting a romantic fantasy about America’s back-woods pioneering days is fun, especially if it gets airtime for a peppy pretty face. But the growth of American jobs depended on making the world safe for the marketing of products the world’s greatest country could make, a daunting task that would wipe the smile from any serious person’s face.

Helen Fogarassy is a Hungarian-born American writer associated with the United Nations for over 20 years. Her website at http://www.helenfogarassy.com is a forum for airing views about how America can best lead in a global world of common human aspirations in context of cherished cultural norms. Views and comments to postings are most welcome.

By Danielle R. Gault

He thought being a leader would be a satisfying job, but he’s struggling to keep his head above water. Not everyone is equipped to be a good leader and not all leaders use the same style. The best leaders have insight, imagination, willingness to learn on the job, and enough flexibility to make course corrections.

Leadership Styles

If raised in the 40’s and 50’s in the “Leave it to Beaver” world, we understood, trusted and felt secure within a hierarchical system respecting the police, our parents and teachers and certainly the Vice Principle, known for discipline. The leadership style was like the element of Earth — solid, grounded, concrete, stable and designed to maintain the status quo which generated little dynamism and change.

The 60’s and 70’s brought flower children, Maggie Trudeau and the Rolling Stones. The world moved from Earth to Water which created instability as we explored “who we were.” The Water element style was expressed by Pierre Trudeau pirouetting behind the Queen and his famous “just watch me” phrase. We tested the waters through whole person workshops and alternative lifestyles.

With the 80’s, 90’s and moving into the 2000’s came the Fire element leadership style which heated things up as we went from “how do we feel” to “get out of my way.” We didn’t think the rules applied to us as we ran traffic lights in our need to be the first and the fastest. We became ego-centric and the principle of “I” as opposed to the previous “Me” generation took over. We didn’t care how our greed impacted the rest of the world. We consumed.

Now well into the 2000’s with the “new normal” and the Air leadership style demonstrated by Barack Obama, we see him applying a vision of interdependency while dialoguing, listening, and responding to the world’s tensions. The Toronto Star stated on January 20th, that “Obama is a welcome change from the George W. Bush era of market irresponsibility, unjustified war, lack of regard for allies, and disrespect for international law.”

And the Huffington Post, January 21st, wrote “since there is no other job that prepares you to be president, the best presidents are the ones with the ability to learn on the job and the willingness to course-correct. First, the Obama White House has to admit it is heading in the wrong direction. Then it needs to bring all hands on deck, toss overboard a few who currently have their hands on the wheel — and turn hard to change course.”

Which leadership style is needed in today’s economic times?

Although an Earth status quo style ensures the economic system is stable, there is little dynamism and conservation of resources drives decisions. In this style, we don’t question the system because we dependent on it for our survival and safety.

The Water style allows for freedom of expression, recognition of feelings, is all-inclusive and always changing. Resources are explored, connected, used, and replenished, however, not always efficiently. We are still dependent on the economic system but we question it and point out its faults as we learn that we can’t throw the whole system over just because it isn’t perfect.

The Fire style is forceful and driven by those who are the most powerful as they use resources in any way that suits them. Paying little attention to replenishing those resources, Fire uses the market place for personal gains. Here we begin to move into independent behaviours with little regard for the whole economic system.

The Air style understands that when one part of the economic system is affected, the whole system is affected. Interdependency is recognized and the good use of resources is required to have a sustainable future. It is inclusive, future-oriented and strives for high standards of operating applying both insight and imagination.

Leadership styles can teach us how to survive, sustain, and strive.

–From Earth, we learn that although management of resources is necessary, management is about controlling while leadership is flexible. Flexibility allows the leader to respond to change.

–From Water we take individual relationships and see them as links in a chain that affect the whole as people’s feedback to leaders help them understand the impact of their decisions on human capital.

–From Fire we use personal motivation as a force to help others achieve as nothing motivates more than need satisfaction. From Fire we also learn to deal with confrontation and encouraging differences to be expressed because challenging ideas is how we grow.

–And from Air, leadership qualities required in today’s economy with its diverse expressions are insight, defined as mental penetration; and imagination, defined as the faculty of making mental images.

No longer using Earth’s status quo or Water’s touchy feely or Fire’s shooting from the hip styles, today’s leaders must provide intelligent, creative ways to drive the economy while creating a sustainable future. A good leader must have the courage to admit when heading off course and the strength to keep his/her hands on the wheel making course corrections as required.

Danielle Gault, writer, trainer, and natural healer, delivers workshops, coaching and healing services in Ontario, New York, and New Zealand. She has written articles published in the Ontario Association of Psychological Type, local newspapers, and for the Reflexology Association of Canada. Danielle believes in a holistic approach to living and uses personality theory, natural healing techniques such as yoga, reflexology and insightful workshops to assist people in addressing their issues in life and striving to live consciously. Her websites are: http://www.healingarts-daniellegault.com and http://www.management-training-services.com or contact her at dgault@reflections.com

By Colleen Lilly

The Sarah Palin frenzy goes on ……

We had another dose at the VP debate of what this governor is all about. She has the good looks, charisma, spunk, intelligence, self confidence, and charm all wrapped into one lovely package.

Donny Deutsch of the Big Idea, puts it even better. She has the marketability of a good product. Of a Woman in Power.

Here is what Donny has to say about Sarah Palin.

“Super Mom, Sexy, Perfect Age, Lioness, Funny, Real, Rock Solid, Smart, Feisty. She is the new feminist ideal.”

As a 40 year old woman myself, I found myself watching the VP debate as if my sister was on stage. I was flinching when Joe Biden took a verbal swipe at her and waiting for Sarah to strike back with her ole down home smile and one liners.

I felt the unevenness of the night before the debate started. For God sakes we had the David vs Goliath of politics show. Gov. Sarah Palin was up against a 30 year Washington veteran.

Putting my 40 year old self in her shoes on yet another grand stage for all the world to see, made my soul quake. How was she going to handle a premiere Washington go getter one on one? I could not imagine myself in her worldly situation. Hence, she was my proxy. She spoke for me as an empowered woman. That is why I was flinching. I was flinching for all women.

Sarah Palin is not only a pioneer woman cutting through the political forest, she is paving the way for woman in power. Political power.

Add her feminine marketability and old school charm and you have a political force. Sarah Palin has natural charisma. She makes you feel as though you are her sister, her friend, your comrade in arms.

You saw her do it at the beginning of the VP debate when she shook Joe Biden’s hand and asked if she could call him ” Joe.’ Coincidentally, is there a more down to earth American male name than Joe?

Sarah answered her first question with ” all you have to do is go to a soccer game…” This kitchen table verbiage is how she connects with the average Joe, the average Betty. She knows how to market herself and it comes naturally.

The Palin Power Factor is two fold – likability and marketability. Sarah Palin came into our lives and has taken likability to new levels. To the homes and hearts of middle class Americans.

Even if the McCain/Palin ticket does not win the White House in November, Gov Palin has already dazzled us with her natural Palin Power.

Colleen Lilly writes a blog at http://www.yourmindbodyandsoul123.com We discuss personal development, empowerment and spiritual growth.

By Marion Algier

During this week leading up to America’s 233rd Birthday Weekend, two Republican candidates appear to have dropped their gauntlets into the ring… however indirectly. The 2012 Race has begun~

Publicly Mitt Romney has been saying he’s not considering another presidential campaign, even as recently as last Sunday during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” But many of his loyal followers expect one. Mitt did admit that he would consider using some of his own money to partially fund his campaign again, if he had to, should he decided to enter the race. In the opinion of many, Mitt may be the right man for the race and the job in 2012 with his strong economic background and successes as Governor of Massachusetts and savior of the Salt Lake Olympics.

Then later this week Romney said in a Fox News interview that he ‘had the fire to run for president again’ he just had to see if the people would be warmed by it. And although he has not officially opened his campaign his Team and followers are ready and waiting for the announcement. Many of Mitt Romney’s loyalists have expected another presidential bid and have remained at the ready for 2012, since the day Obama was elected.

Then today Sarah Palin shocked everyone by announcing that she was not running for a 2nd term as Governor of Alaska and rather than staying on as a lame duck and finishing her term, she was handing over the reigns to her Lieutenant Governor.

Of course the immediate speculation after the surprise Palin announcement has been that Governor Palin has quit to focus on a bid for the 2012 Republican nomination for president. Others have speculated that she might have decided to put her political career on hold to spend some time with her family or even to turn her back on politics altogether. Still others are speculating that Palin will be starting a think tank, expanding Sarah Pac, or working directly with the GOP to further her beliefs and improve her resume for a run in the future… after 2012.

There are of course many others who will toss their hats into the ring as the race gets closer and as Obama and his policies continue to drop in popularity.

In recent polls Sarah Palin and Mitt Romney occupy the top spots for possible 2012 GOP candidates… other possibles include Tim Pawlenty, Newt Gingrich, Bobby Jindal, Mike Huckabee, and who knows who else; even Jeb Bush has been mentioned. But, we should all remember, whoever thought of Barack Obama as a presidential candidate for 2008 back in July of 2005, let alone of Sarah Palin for VP?

Sarah ended her announcement about her “personal climate change”, as she put it, by saying that on her parent’s refrigerator is a magnet on which it says:

- Don’t explain…
- Your Friends Don’t Need It
- And Your Enemies Won’t Believe It Anyway~

That is probably the exact place that Sarah Palin now finds herself in, again, but she chose to explain anyway to her loyal supporters, the people of Alaska and the people of America.

As for the field of GOP candidates, it narrowed again just last week. News of Senator John Ensign’s affair broke and Governor Sanford admitted to an affair with a woman in Argentina, taking them both out of the race.

The GOP troubles seem to have left two prominent 2012 prospects, for now, 2008 presidential hopeful and former Governor Mitt Romney and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, unscathed, however it is early. And if anyone can make an unconventional comeback, against the conventional rules and odds, it would be Sarah Palin. There had even already been speculation of the possibility of an eventual Romney-Palin ticket.

Whatever the future holds for the GOP… it will be interesting!

Marion Algier/Ask Marion, Daily Thought Pad: http://dailythoughtpad.blogspot.com/

By Paul R Turner

There are basically two kinds of elections, the primary election campaign and the general election campaign, and usually the candidate files petitions to get on the ballot in the primary election. The primary ballot contains the names of all the candidates who want to run for that office. Whoever wins the primary election campaign will be on the ballot as the party’s candidate in the general election. The general election decides who will hold that office.

In some elections, there is no primary, but nominating petitions are still used. The candidate circulates and files petitions. If he has the minimum number of signatures, his name is put on the ballot in the general election along with all the other candidates who file valid petitions.

In another variation, the party candidates file petitions and run in the primary, but a nonparty candidate may file petitions for that office as an independent. The two winners of the primaries, plus the independent candidate, will be on the ballot in the general election, in a so-called three way race.

In still other elections, called bedsheet ballot elections, all candidates file petitions for one seat out of several and the top vote getters win. For example, there may be three seats open on the Board of Commissioners and eight candidates who file petitions for commissioner. All eight names are on the ballot, and the voters can vote for any three names. The top three vote getters win.

On the other hand, the three commissioner seats may be elected separately too. Each commissioner seat is distinguished, usually by the date term begins, e.g., commissioner, term beginning January 1; commissioner, term beginning January 2; and so on. In that case, the nominating petition in the primary election campaign has to state specifically which term the candidate is running for.

Visit Killer Campaigning to learn more about how to win a primary election campaign.