I’m not sure about you, but I feel like the campaign for the White House is lacking. Maybe it is lacking because it started almost a year ago! Two years of campaigning is too long, especially when the options are lifers in politics. Fred Thompson could have won the the next Presidential election if he came in around Christmas. Instead, he is in almost as long as everyone else and he lost his chache.
What I am getting at is the acceptance of people running that have no political backgrounds. I’m not sure when it started but I’ll begin with Ross Perot. He never really had a chance because he was a trailblazer… and came off looking silly on some points. But what people liked was his passion compared to his rivals – George Bush and Bill Clinton. People gravitate towards individuals that are motivated intrinsically. Even though many lifelong politicians are motivated intrinsically, it doesn’t appear that way. So in 1998 along came Jesse Ventura. He wins. He experiences highs and lows. He leaves. In 2001 it is Michael Bloomberg in NYC. In 2003 it is Arnold Schwarzenegger in California.
Why do these people get elected? Because they didn’t view the job as a promotion. They had passion to do the right thing. To improve the community in which they lived. There is something more appealing about that than someone who moves to a different state just because a Senate seat is open.
At work you can see these people too. They are the ones that get to a certain level; they gain immense respect but never move up anywhere. Their passion is to improve the situation, not improve their situation.
Working Thoughts 