So, here we are again…in the middle of one of the most highly contested Republican primary seasons I can remember, and I have had the right to vote now for 34 years.
Over the last few days, a few things have been taken out of context, and it’s time to give the media, the candidates and the voters a wake up call, and here it is:
1. To the media and the candidates: If you claim to be fair, why do you report things out of context? Yesterday, Governor Mitt Romney delivered a speech about “firing people or companies who don’t provide great service”. He was discussing the state of affairs with health insurance companies and that as consumers, we should have the right to “fire” an insurance company that is not providing us what we need and hire a new insurance company who can provide the services we seek” (paraphrase). But, as always, Romney’s opponents and the media simply clipped out the section when Romney said “I like being able to fire people who provide services to me” and then started flying down the tracks with that statement in their hands claiming that during one of the worst economic eras since the great depression, Romney wants to fire people. If that is what you are going to listen to and buy into, then don’t vote. I am 100% for voting, unless you are a voter who does not take the time to get the full story. Just watch this video of Romney speaking yesterday and pay close attention to how the phrase was actually used:
While he may now regret his phrasing…he is absolutely right! If you have an employee, vendor or board member who is not doing his or her job and are hurting your business or life, then they should be asked to move on and find other work or other customers. Every day I work with leaders in the business and non-profit sector who KNOW they have a bad apple on their team or a vendor who is slack, but they are soooooo afraid to fire anyone. Maybe we need someone with the guts to say “Hey…you are not doing your job for the American people. Move on!”
I am not writing this to back Mitt Romney. I am writing it, because as a leadership coach, I cannot take things out of context and then use them, and as a leader, you cannot take things out of context or take a thin slice of a full statement and then slam a person with it. So, I urge you to look at the full picture.
2. To the media, candidates and the American people: Stop calling our visionary leaders crazy, cranks and odd. That is just again not fair. Dr. Ron Paul has been called crazy, a crank and odd. In 2002, he was really called crazy when he delivered this speech to congress in 2012:
So, was he crazy? I don’t think so. This speech is very sobering indeed.
Walt Disney was called crazy, and look at the joy and happiness his “craziness” has brought into our lives. Steve Jobs was called “crazy” when he introduced the iPod, and our world has been forever changed because of his vision. Dr. Paul has been trying to warn Congress and the American people since the late 1990s that we were headed for some big trouble on both foreign and domestic fronts, but everyone just said “Oh…crazy Ron…there he goes again, saying that we are going to pour money into the Gaza and Afghanastan and that we are headed for an economic meltdown.” Paul was not crazy…he was right. He is a smart man who closely follows and studies foreign relations and economics, and he understands that history repeats itself, moves in repeating patterns and cycles around and around the same issues: money, religion and resources. He has always been looking into the future, and some people just don’t have the vision to be able to really see down the road. So, the only response is “Well…that person is crazy”…that again is just not fair, and it is not accurate. It is hurtful.
So, I encourage you today to embrace our visionary leaders and to seek the truth…not just a sliver of truth but the full truth. If you listen to the media and to the bits and pieces being slung around like wet mud enough, you will never get the full story. Do your own research, get the facts straight and become fully informed before heading to the polls in November.
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Bea,
I pretty much agree with everything you say, but I did not like his choice of words. When you consider the fact that a lot of people are currently out of work, he could have chosen a different way to voice his opinion. I happened to turn on the TV right when he was say he would “fire the people.” Not knowing that the story behind it, I immediately said, “what the hell is he saying?” I was turned off by what he said without knowing why. So, in my opinion he needs to learn to think before he puts his mouth in gear. One would think he had learned his lesson after the $10,000 bet mistake. Maybe my standards are high, but I think they should be when you consider the position he wants to fill. We have a great country and the person who represents us as our leader should be a better public speaker. I have noticed that Romney tends to rapid fire his words a lot. All I can say is, I hope his feet are small and clean.
Bea,
This is a wonderful post and addresses one of my pet peeves…taking conversations out of context and using them for slamming others or for personal gain.
Thanks!
Right on, Bea. The news has long ago become a profit center, pandering to headlines and sound bites that garner attention. The coverage of this Republican primary contest is more like a circus than news, just as it has been for the coverage of other important events – and some not-so-important ones. Marketing, while always a component of a successful campaign, has taken over any real political discourse. Sadly, this is what wins elections. As long as we, the people, accept the hype, and don’t drill down before pulling that lever in the voting booth, we will get the best marketers passing, interpreting, and executing the laws of the land. Thank you for this post.
Bea,
Necessary and wise insights for today’s voters. With today’s media info-slams that blitz parcels of usable and useless data at us, we must engage our intuitive sensibility to make wise choices. Always my view, if you don’t know, find out. There are facts (true facts) available to all of us if we take time to look. And, if you investigate and still do not know, please, don’t go to the polls until you do!!
Bea — excellent post. Why do leaders feel they have to deceive? First, it’s almost impossible in the internet age. They will be found out and damage their reputations. And deceiving is not simply telling likes. It’s also keeping silent and not divulging the truth.