Where Is The Political Leadership We Need Today?

[Context: I finally lost it over the constant barrage of negative and misleading (at best) TV election ads, printed mailers and unauthorized texts to my cell phone, mainly funded by dark and out-of-state money. To vent I wrote the below article for my local newspaper:]

?I have been privileged to work with many smart and talented business leaders, CEOs, Board members and government officials (and some less skilled ones).?? A great leader sets the direction with a clear and principled vision and motivates others to achieve common goals. ??Leaders do not change direction on a whim.? Unfortunately the “leaders” of our political parties today fail as good role models.? ??

Leadership requires clear and effective communication.? It is not Donald Trump saying immigrants are eating cats and dogs because he heard it on TV.? ?Even if Tim Sheehy’s insulting comments about Native Americans were intended as humor, the proper reaction is to man up and apologize.? Senator Tester should not blast Tim in ads for taking special interest money when Tester received even more.?? Real leaders are not hypocrites.?? They discuss proposals in an open and truthful manner, grounded in factual statements.?? They do not foment fear and hatred.

A great leader demands data-driven analysis and uses it to reach logical conclusions.?? A true leader would not equivocate between the murderous thug Putin and the innocent citizens of Ukraine being bombed.?? Leadership is not hiding the mental decline of an elderly President Biden (or Trump).?? VP Pence was ostracized by party “leaders” for doing the right thing by following the Constitution on January 6th.? That is the opposite of accountability which respected leaders require, of themselves and subordinates.??? Every self-serving politician who cannot put country first fails the leadership test.?? A great leader would rather lose their job and keep their integrity than violate core principles (see Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger).

Strong leaders take action in times of turmoil.? Leadership is not Trump saying “so what” upon learning his VP is being pursued by violent insurrectionists.?? ?Nor is it forcing doctors to fear criminal prosecution when they use their expertise to provide health care to women.? ?Limited government is a better vision for Montana’s freedom-loving and independent voters than bureaucratic control, or the expanded presidential power Trump seeks. ?

Leaders bring positive energy – they don’t focus on owning the Libs or demonizing opponents.? ?A leader should see the whole picture, unlike politicians focused on coastal wealthy elites where they fund-raise.? ?If you cannot do the right thing, and ignore special interests seeking a poorer outcome for the country, you will never become a great leader.? George Washington warned against the perils of partisan political parties, which we see today.??

Great leaders surround themselves with smart and experienced deputies who can implement and improve policies.?? Trump had many in his first term.? After several made disparaging comments, he apparently shifted to favoring less-qualified loyalists whose main focus is staying in his good graces, regardless of truth or optimal policies.? ?This is very concerning.? ?A real leader wants to hear the truth, not avoid reality.?? ?While no human is perfect, we cannot lower the bar on qualifications to lead.?? Politicians should seek continuous improvement, not retreat to their echo chambers and accept gridlock (funded by out-of-state money).

Our Constitution was written specifically to force large and small States to compromise on important issues and reach bipartisan consensus for the good of the country.? Great leaders tackle hard issues.? Leadership on immigration would entail welcoming more smart, talented and hard-working individuals to fill needed roles, while restricting illegal access.?? We need to know who is entering this country.? There should be a bipartisan solution available.?? Good luck paying promised (and increasing) entitlements, including Social Security and Medicare, without a growing workforce and economy.?

Political parties should be guided by bedrock principles, including honesty, integrity, fiscal restraint and country over self-interest.?? The failure of both parties to address spending means we now pay more in interest costs than national defense or Medicare.?? The deficit is now around $2 Trillion annually, with both parties wanting to increase spending!?? Excessive spending will ruin American prosperity and security.??

In short, the political party duopoly is not serving us well.?? Neither party deserves its current level of control over our primary voting process.??? I will take a strong look at ballot measure CI-126 as it offers a way to reduce partisan party control. ??That should be an improvement.?

?? 2024

[Steve Blackmore is a business consultant who lives in Bozeman.]

[Here's the background I didn't have to explain to the Montana locals:

With control of the U.S. Senate in the balance, Montana has become a key battleground state. Both candidates have clear vulnerabilities that are trying to be exploited, fairly and unfairly. Our incumbent, Sen. Jon Tester (D), is disadvantaged by the shift towards an increasingly red electorate. Tester is tied to Biden's open border and high inflation. Boys playing in girls sports doesn't play well in Montana. Tester's challenger, Tim Sheehy (R), has no governing experience, his firefighting company is losing millions despite being supported by funding from our local county, and he's ducking the press on inconsistencies in prior statements. My reference to CI-126 is an initiative seeking to open our primaries. The current law forces voters to either vote the D or R primary ballot - we cannot pick and choose individual candidates in the primary.]

#leadership

#management

#principled leadership