Leadership Right Under Our Noses, Just When We Need It

Often Lost in Media Coverage in Normal Times, Governors Actually Run Things

Consider Governors

Several recent presidents have been governors: Carter, Reagan, Clinton, and Bush II. Even so, governors often get short shrift in media and in public attention. We tend to gravitate toward Washington personalities. This is an understandable, if oftentimes shortsighted, approach to picking our national leaders.

Washington personalities have the natural advantage of being in a global media capital. At some level, Washington based individuals also often deal in foreign policy and foreign crises. These yield valuable experience for a potential president.

The Terrible Price of Weak Leadership

Two Examples Prove Their Weakness Almost Daily. Now a Third?

Why Weak Leaders Carry Such a Cost

Every case is unique of course, but finding someone in a leadership position for which they are clearly incapable of fulfilling is a painful thing to observe. In almost every such case, there are clear costs to be extracted:

  • Everything in the organization becomes transactional. There is very little in the way of mutual respect or loyalty to the leader. The goals and priorities of that leader are up for grabs and up for sale – or are simply ignored.

January 30, 2024

Politics, Science, Society – A Look Around Various Corners of America Today

How Many Types of Politicians Are There?

Bottom line, there really are only two basic types of politicians and would-be leaders, with one subset noted.Part of being a political leader is deciding what will be used to motivate people to vote for and support you. In spite of all the complexities and variances of modern life, this choice comes down to two basic approaches.

Types One and Two

Type I is to inspire, to call out our best in each other, to stress the us in USA.

Good News – Part II

10 More Observations of People, Institutions, or Things to Celebrate

Continuing Our Relentless Pursuit of Good Stuff

A couple of weeks ago, this blog listed a number of good news stories that seemed to me were not getting enough attention, or at least were getting lost in all the doom and gloom we sometimes generate. I mentioned then there were other good news items that made that list but did not want to make the blog too long.

Today, the rest of that list. Admittedly an arbitrary list, not complete and in no special order.

JANUARY 16, 2024

Today, a Little of This, A Little of That To Look Through

What’s Going On?

Lots going on currently, as the election season officially began Monday night. Trump did win over 50% of the Iowa vote and the next two candidates were almost tied, so not a two person contest going forward yet, which is unfortunate. One more candidate, the abrasive business man, ended his campaign last night. Now we will start thinking about New Hampshire, South Carolina, etc. But there is more than politics out there to think about. Let’s take a cruise and see what comes up.

Lessons in Foreign Policy That Will be Referenced Forever

Israel’s Very Existence is Under Threat. Bad Decisions Do Not Help

Welcome to the Impossibilities of Foreign Policy

 Foreign affairs are often the most impossible endeavor in human interaction. It is a process filled with emotion and inadequate information. Personalities of leaders rise to the occasion or make it worse. One is often in conflict with allies and the necessity of working with adversaries.

Valid goals conflict with each other. Timelines are unforgiving. Risks may be high but almost impossible to measure as to likelihood. Choices are often all bad; at best, each choice carries real costs.

The House, the Middle East, & One Athlete

A Varied Mix to Ponder This Week – Much in the Balance, Everywhere

The House of Representatives

That seems an odd title of late: it’s not much of a House, and it seems to represent few of us. As if all the ongoing tensions in that small zoo where not enough, now we have a Speaker fired by 8 of his members, no clear replacement or plan to get one possibly worthy of the title, only about 30 days before the US Government goes broke, and Ukraine held hostage by a pouting few.

October is going to be an interesting month,

A Close-Up Look at Music from the Other Side

We Have All Enjoyed Concerts from the Audience. What’s It Like from the Stage?

Today, a short break from politics and social issues. You’re welcome.

Music in Life, and in Asheville

As I have noted in an earlier posting some years ago, I have a pretty eclectic music taste. I like a lot of different types of music. Were you to look at the play list on my phone, you would find everything from classical symphonies, to jazz, to mountain music, to Gregorian chants, to classic rock – and about everything in between.

But the sweet spot for me has always been classical symphonic music.

Let’s Talk About Age and Politics

It’s a Serious Subject. So Far, the Discussion Has Not Been Serious

It’s Definitely a Topic of Late

We seem to have a perfect storm of older politicians. What this brings with it as a matter of national interest is evident everywhere. A lot of this focuses on Biden (which is at least partly wrong – more on that later). I would suggest a few points can be taken as givens that need not clutter the discussion. Among these are the following:

  • Clearly some politicians have aged out, they just did not get the memo.

Most Prominent Physical Feature of a Politician?

No, Not That! No, Not Those Either! Shame on you.

Tis the Season

I know – sometimes it seems it is eternally the case, but in face we are about to enter another national election cycle. In a little more than a year, we will be voting for all sorts of offices, from President to Dog Cather, and about every office in between.

Among other things, this means that the media, in all its forms, will be focusing on politicians and would-be politicians. Unfortunately, much of that coverage looks likely to continue being focused on horse race status and some gotcha articles,