CONSIDER THE DIFFERENCES (Politicians vs. Public Servants vs. Leaders)

Politician President

• This is the pinnacle of my career and power.
• I’m looking forward to the increased retirement and continuing benefits-perks.
• I will work to fulfill the interests of those who voted for me.  
• I will lead on the issues to implement my agenda and my party’s platform.
• I will interpret the rules so that my actions are legal
• I care about what is good for me, my party, and our viewpoint on the issues.

Public Servant President

• I will do my best to put self last and America first. 
• I will work hard to make a contribution, and then move on to give someone else the same opportunity.
• This isn’t my career, and I look forward to returning to mine in private life as a citizen.
• I am embarrassed by all the perks people want to give me.
• I never take credit, but find out who really deserves it, and I give it to them.
• I serve my constituents and will lead them toward consensus on the issues.

Leader President 

• I will lead America toward fulfillment of its potential and destiny.
• I lead all Americans whether they voted for me or not. 
• I lead toward a vision not a position on an issue.
• Leading is my service and my duty.
• The only special interest that matters is America’s.
• I will lead toward leaving America in better shape than she was in when I took office.  

Honesty and public service are the gears that drive our democracy, and we turn those gears with our RIGHT TO VOTE.   LET’S ALL VOTE!

. . .  remember that America’s best days aren’t behind her.   America’s best days are ahead of her.  They always have been and always will be.

Dave

Copyright © 2016 by David William Wygant. All rights reserved.  

IT’S THE IDEA! (without the word stupid)

Do you remember the phrase, “It’s the economy, stupid?”  I don’t recall who coined the phrase or which election, but it has resurfaced in most if not all the elections since it was first uttered.

I know of an economist whose articles I read on Facebook.  He has good ideas and thoughtful presentations.  They are worth listening to, thinking about, and otherwise absorbing.  Except, he surrounds his ideas with many negative comments about the other political party, accusing them of lying.  I’m not sure why he does this.  He causes a dark cloud of negativity to descend over his ideas, and they become lost.  

Guess what, the other party has good ideas too. We need competition between ideas, not between people.  We need public servants not politicians.  A public servant will look for the right question, and the matching solution, no matter where the trail leads.  A politician only sees the process as a sport and game to be won.  Even if they win occasionally, we voters always lose when we play their game.

Think about it this way.  Have you ever had an idea?  Whether you pass it on, or not, it’s alive, right?  In many ways, it is another one of your children, isn’t it?  It lives because of you, and it’s normal to feel like you want to protect it.  We put all our effort into helping our children develop until they can finally stand on their own two feet.  In the end, no matter how they grow, we always love them, right?  

• Do you like it when someone or something attacks one of your children?
• Do you like it when they say their children are somehow better than yours?
• Aren’t all children beautiful and deserving?

Well, so are ideas!  Maybe, like we try to teach our children to work together, we can also find ways for our ideas to blend and strengthen each other.  The third option really can be the best option.

It’s the idea!  Think about it without the word “stupid.”

Honesty and public service are the gears that drive our democracy, and we turn those gears with our RIGHT TO VOTE.   LET’S ALL VOTE!  Remember that America’s best days aren’t behind her.   America’s best days are ahead of her.  They always have been and always will be.

Dave

Copyright © 2015 by David William Wygant. All rights reserved.  

Truth and Honesty

Our history as a country has demonstrated time after time that we can accomplish anything when we work together and focus on the mission.  When this happens the beginning is always with truth and honesty in recognizing what the reality is and how we relate to each other.   As a country we need to understand again what these two things are, and once again, put them first in our thinking, discussions and actions. 

Truth can be found in the alignment of our senses with ideas and viewpoints that are supported by facts.  To pursue the truth we need to use our intellect, our spirit and all of our powers of intention.   It has always been a quest, and still is.

Outside of a way of living, talking about something, or in taking an action, honesty doesn’t mean much.  However, it is everything when our lives, the words we speak, and the actions we take line up perfectly with the truth.  The truth, not from only our point of view, but from point of view of others, too.  Our honesty isn’t so much about ourselves as it is about how we treat others, the actions we take, and what we give of ourselves to the world around us.

When we cast our votes for our public servants we will be blessed as a country if we find people who have vision for the truth and the will to fully embrace honesty.

The Voting Alert Beacons are based on, and stand solidly on, truth and honesty!

Spread the word!  Tell your friends about the Voting Alert Beacons!

. . .  remember that America’s best days aren’t behind her.   America’s best days are ahead of her.  They always have been and always will be.

Dave

Copyright © 2014 by David William Wygant. All rights reserved. 

Our greatest Presidents all had the same six qualities!

Robert Dahlek is an American historian who is considered an expert on American Presidents.  Before retiring, he most recently taught at Boston University, and earlier served at Columbia University, UCLA, and Oxford.  He has won the Bancroft Prize and numerous other awards for his scholarship and teaching.

In a series of lectures on the Presidents of the 20th Century, Mr. Dahlek identified which were the most effective Presidents, and the impact they had on the Office of the President itself.  He found six qualities that these Presidents all brought to the job.  While each President faced unique challenges while in office, the same qualities emerged and were visible in each.

At the top of the list and considered most important of the qualities was vision.  Having a sense of direction and knowing what future success looks like.  All of these Presidents were charismatic.  They often had different styles of communication, but they were able to easily connect with the people they lead.  When it came to getting work done and finding a way to move forward they were pragmatic, not dogmatic.  They knew how to get results while keeping the vision in view.  Using their charismatic and pragmatic qualities, they could build a consensus.   In the people they lead, they evoked or created a sense of trust and credibility.  People saw these things in them because they were in fact trustworthy and credible.  The last quality they all seemed to possess was luck.  This could be seen as a “flip of the coin” which they won from one point of view, but it’s easy to wonder if they didn’t create their own luck.

Judge for yourself.

Think of a President who you think was the greatest in your opinion.  It doesn’t matter from what party or when they served.  Just think of your personal choice and also think about how many of the above six qualities they seemed to possess.  Only you will know, but I’d guess that the President you think most highly of had all six.

Now think about candidates Obama and Romney.  At this point in time, how would you grade them on these six qualities?  Write it down.  Then check back every week with the list and re-grade them based on what they’ve said or done in the campaign that week.

Mr. Obama and Mr. Romney you need to grade yourselves too.  No, don’t grade the other guy.  We’ll do that.

At this point in time, I would suggest that both of you are lacking with the first quality.  Start there.  What is your vision of success for America twenty five years from now?  Please forget the issues and go back to creating a vision.  Remember, issues will always divide and visions always unite.


. . .  remember that America’s best days aren’t behind her.   America’s best days are ahead of her.  They always have been and always will be.

Dave

Copyright © 2012 by David William Wygant. All rights reserved.