A Presidential Choosing

Written by Chirs Daley - www.yardgeniusnetwork.com

In choosing a presidential candidate, keen discernment, not giddy longing is
required. This is extremely difficult given the pied piper atmosphere that engulfs
us. The backdrop of war and recession just adds to the drama, tension, runaway
panic and thus limited objective thinking.

In addition, we are indeed in the super bowl season of trash talking. It is the
season of the herd mentality, where quiet, reason reflection is swept away by the
tsunami of change and hope. Remember, a dead fish can float downstream, but
it takes a live one to swim upstream. It takes more courage to express a
personal conviction that runs counter to the stream, and this is what I hope to
deliver.

Here we are a mosaic of people under the stress of political polemic peak-ness.
It is not only the difference in political outlook that is causing these gale force
winds, it is also the forced homogeneity that promises to strip one of individual
choice. Permit me to inject the rule of reason in the hope of informing one’s
objective sensibilities. Discernment requires critical thinking. Critical thinking is
not afraid to be wrong. It works with fairness, and respect. It is not hooked on the
consensus idea. It is not an undisciplined emotion that will give sway to the
current popularity wave, like a teenager at a jamming concert, but it does careful
analysis and evaluation for one’s self.

We come to this significant debate with the upfront acknowledgement that we are
shaped by our upbringing and conditioning, and thus monolithic conformity
disadvantage the group’s synergistic potential. There is no doubt that the
historical nature of the race has an enormous tug on the heart. Who wants to be
on the wrong side of history? I however, write this piece with a future grandchild
in mind. Should I be so privileged, I want to share the thinking and decisions that
guided my vote at this most historical moment. I would share that I used the timetested principle of paying more attention to the “marriage rather than the
courtship and wedding”.

So, let’s deal with the issue of race. If Dr. King could return, he would smile at
the progress that has been made. Yes, indeed America has made great strides in
living up to its constitutional creed. The enormous progress this country has
made in becoming a more perfect union should be trumpeted. Statements by
congressional leaders Murtha and Lewis discount this progress and attempt to
link the present with the dark past for political gain. Yes, there has been a surge
of racial harmony whose momentum is unstoppable. The major discrimination
initiatives have been to principally address race, gender, disability, and age. This
political season have provided us with candidates emphasizing all three
attributes. Surprisingly, the race element has received a significantly favorable
and very biased treatment, while vicious comments against Palin and McCain go
on without coverage and requisite outrage. The media that give us a information
window into these candidates have been most blatantly biased in this regard.
Given what folks have been through lately, the meltdown of the market driven by
government engineered failure, there is a reactive hunger for leadership. The
mantra of change and hope resonates within many hearts. The real question
needs to be what type of change is truly needed. Great leadership is not a casual
commodity, not an element endowed by a reaction to stress and fear.


Personally, I am looking for a leader with solid intellect, sound judgments, past
experience, and personal testing. That is my description of a transformational
leader. Nelson Mandela embodied the gold standard of a transformational leader.
Reverend Desmond Tutu is a recent book; “God has a Dream” shared his
insights regarding the recent political transformation of South Africa. One key
gem was his declaration that Mandela’s time in prison provided him with the
needed chiseling to convert his anger into purposeful political power. In addition,
folks have equated political power with socioeconomic progress. A careful study
of this history shows that that political power has not been a major engine to
move folks from poverty to prosperity. I invite you to examine the contrasting
history of the Irish and the Chinese for instance.

The Saddle Brook forum was a defining moment for me in discerning these
candidates against the definition supplied above. This was the only setting where
we gained insight into the candidates’ reflective maturity, and presidential
temperament. On the core issue of life, the response of this being above my pay
grade was an astounding quote to me. This is an internal value that cannot be
outsourced to an advisor.Writing two books, being rhetorically-gifted, and having an enviable marketinggame plan make for a promising draft choice, not the next leader of the free world. We are faced with huge challenges that will take seasoned leadership to shepherd us through these tough times. Can someone inform me of another time when a major leader was elected with such a lack of requisite seasoning?

Finally, when I construct a matrix of the compelling policy issues of the day that
drives my decision; positions on the economy, taxes, security, healthcare,
entitlement, energy, and education, finds me aligned with the McCain positions. It
supports the market-oriented, entrepreneurial spirit that fosters innovation, and
manage risk, which has been the under girding that has propelled the American
dream. McCain’s bipartisan’s record on major challenges is also telling as it gives
insight in how he will embrace differences.

I do agree it is time we practice the principle of Dr. King Jr. Let’s judge all
candidates by the content of their character, not the color of their skin, even if
that pigmentation is white. Then we will truly practice our motto of out of many,
one people.