About Politics

Daniel Sitter asked:


Who is on your sales team? Often, success in the field is far from an individual effort. There is frequently an inside customer service group, service coordinators, a product expediter, a dependable shipping department and quality vendor technical support operating behind the scenes ensuring that the customer’s experience is a good one. The salesperson is the facilitator of these collective efforts and the representative of their company when dealing with customers.

This past weekend, the rapidly changing political landscape was introduced to the live version of a new phenomenon. Although Hollywood-types have often backed political candidates and causes, the world has been holding their breath in anticipation of the impact of Oprah’s endorsement of Barack Obama. Oprah lends her star-power to her friend, Obama, “a new kind of leader who possesses a tongue dipped in the unvarnished truth,” Winfrey said.

The Oprah and Obama traveling tour brings new meaning to the phrase dynamic-duo! Obama had the pleasure of addressing almost 30,000 registered voters at Williams-Brice stadium here in Columbia, SC thanks in great part to Winfrey’s celebrity. I do not believe that anyone will ever be able to remove the pleasure-filled smile from his face.

“In what may be the largest phone-banking effort in the nation’s history, each attendee was handed a sheet that listed four registered S.C. voters and a phone script. Attendees were asked to call the voters on their sheet, right then and there, and ask them to support Obama in the Democratic primary.” Regardless of your political persuasion, this sales effort is impressive. The news coverage and number of articles are amazing.

Talk about sales teams! This pairing may be just what the doctor ordered to propel Obama to the lead in the run for the Democratic nomination. What then… VP Oprah Winfrey!

The point of all this is to remember that our success in selling our ideas and products is indeed a team effort. Even if you are a self-employed company of one who handles everything from sales to accounting, you too rely on vendors, FedEx, US Mail and reliable technology to ensure your sales success. You are indeed part of a team effort, albeit the focal member.

None of us operates in a vacuum. It is necessary and proper to respect and care about your sales team. When appropriate, introduce these people to your customers. Make it more personal. Put faces on each department and function.

Remember, the bottom line is that people interact with people to make things happen. Humanize your selling efforts and warm up your sales success.



Amanda

Gareth Soloway asked:


I still remember hearing about this charismatic up and coming politician named Barack Obama years ago. An African American man who could speak like few in the past and charm the pants off the public. I liken his speaking talent and charisma to Bill Clinton who was able to slide through many a “sticky” situation and come out one of the most popular presidents ever. Granted, he presided over one of the greatest expansion and wealth building economies in history as well. Many will debate whether or not the economic expansion was his doing or possibly a result of Reaganomics years before. In any case, President Obama has the power to raise us up, make us want to be better, makes us want to unite. He has already put a stop to the pay raises in the White House, gone huge lengths to reduce the bipartisan politics. The American public is tired of the rich getting richer and politicians that disagree not on a basis of their own beliefs but because they are on opposite sides and thus must. This is uplifting for me to see and I truly hope it continues.

Barack Obama is facing one of the worst economic situations since the Great Depression. There is no real doubt in my mind it could be that bad should action not be taken. Action has been taken. The printing of trillions of dollars as the bailouts flow like water under a bridge. A small trickle now the gushing Mississippi. The big question to me is, when do we, the United States public have to pay the piper. As of now, banks are not lending even with the bailouts, however, that will change in time. When they do start lending, it is imperative that the Federal Reserve clamp down on the excess money and quickly. Ben Bernanke spoke about this over a weak ago and admitted they have pumped trillions into the economy. However, he noted that inflation would remain muted due to the lack of bank lending and the commodity collapse. I agree with this. Near term you will see inflation stay low but only until banks begin to lend. At this point it is imperative that the Federal Reserve be ahead of the curve and start raising rates to restrict and pull back the excess money. In addition, I believe it will take much, much more. If not? Hyper inflation will be here in full force.

When has the Federal Reserve actually shown they are ahead of the curve? Never, in my opinion. This is what worries me so much. Believe it or not I don’t even fully blame them for never being ahead of the curve. Why? Because while the Federal Reserve is supposed to be independent from the government, rhetoric and politics, they always get caught up in it. Do not think the president does not have the Chairman of the Federal Reserve on speed dial.

Knowing this, I have little faith that within a few years, we will face an even worse situation. Hyper inflation. Dear readers, think about this. Most Americans have already lost half their value in their pension and other retirement vehicles not to mention half the value in their houses. So let us say someone had one million in retirement savings. It is now worth five-hundred-thousand-dollars after the stock market collapse. That amount of retirement savings could buy… let us say, half a million apples. Hyper inflation hits and all of a sudden that amount of money can only buy a quarter million apples or less. So within the span of 5 years you have cut the retirement savings in real terms by three quarters. From one million to just one quarter of a million dollars. That is scary. Of course there are countless other problems as well. States are running billion dollar deficits. California may have to file bankruptcy…that is if the government does not bail them out too. Pension are under funded and let us face it, what tax revenue will the government get in the next few years? Sales taxes are slumping as consumers are not spending, unemployment is rising which means no tax on income and everyone has huge losses from the last year in their portfolios. I just do not see an easy fix unfortunately.

I am for Obama. He is the right man to lead us through this mess because he is uniting the country and the world. This is a global issue and we need the world for once on our side. The mess we have dug ourselves will cause more problems down the road I fear. We need a leader who is able to inspire us and keep us together as we find out the hard way there is no quick fix. Yes, near term his stimulus package will have an impact but all these stimulus packages are really just creating more dollars. The more dollars there are the less each one is worth. Simple economics here. Supply and demand.

There are ways to protect against hyper inflation. The end game and the only way to help the United States clean up this mess maybe a new currency even… However, that is for another time.

So I say lead us forward President Obama, I am behind you. But just in case all this does not work? I am preparing myself for hyper inflation!

Source: Gareth Soloway, InTheMoneyStocks.com

InTheMoneyStocks.com

The Leader In Market Technical Guidance



Michael

Theo N asked:


Obama is now saying that Rev. Wright is “divisive and destructive” and that he is “sickened and saddened” by his former pastor. While Obama himself has previously said that Wright’s opinions are reflective of the black church and the black community, but now he’s changing his mind and is “outraged” over Wright. Has Obama decided to turn on his black supporters in order to gain white support? And how will the black community respond to his change of allegiance?

Arnold

Donna Page MS asked:


Stepping into the world of political prediction is a murky arena for an astrologer. My personal position is that I am for the good of all humanity. I want whoever wins to have a pure heart and intelligent mind, I want the candidate who will uplift and do what is right for the country, for all of humanity, and the planet. I am not a politician, I am simply offering what I see astrologically for the presidential race. Astrology offers insight into the nature of individuals and the planetary energy around us.

When an astrologer is looking to make a prediction he or she looks at the symbols and from there makes a judgment based upon the symbolic language of the planets.

This election is very difficult as there are many mixed messages as to who will win. The greatest symbol for the election is that everyone appears to be surprised in some way. One thing is certain the astrology is saying that election day will be anything but normal and that the results can surprise many people. That in itself would imply that McCain could win as Obama is expected to win. However I do not think that will happen.

            When we look at the day of the election we are looking at the emotional symbols around the candidates for the symbols that would represent victory, achievement, accomplishment and being happy. When a person wins a hard fought fight one would expect a feeling of elation that will accompany that victory, when someone loses we would expect a feeling of being deflated. In very simplistic terms we want to see who looks the happiest.  McCain has a Venus aspect, although minor, getting something he wants, the larger influence points back to the date that he was taken prisoner of war and is indicating he is coming into a time of his life that the decisions he made then come to fruition and completion. McCain’s chart also show that he will have a “date with destiny” by the beginning of December, meaning that he will be taking on something new in his life that will fulfill what he feels he needs to do in this life. This does not mean that he will be president, and it doesn’t mean he won’t:  it is indicating he is about to make major changes in what he has been doing to fulfill a mission he feels is important.

Obama’s chart also shows he will lose something that is precious to him, yet in light of the health of his grandmother, (she is still alive at the time of this article)  it may not be that he loses the presidential race he has been fighting for but his grandmother.

I think the most telling chart is not in the charts of the presidential candidates, but in the chart of Sarah Palin.

There are two reasons why I think that Senator Obama will win the presidential race. 1.) The day of the inauguration he has several indications of being in the public eye. 2.)  In Michelle’s chart it indicates she will be concerned around her children for the next couple of years and their school will be changing, and that they will be moving. 3.) The evening of and following day of the election Sarah Palin chart is indicating that she will be very angry.

All of these influences could be manifested in other occasions, such as Palin being angry does not mean that McCain loses, it could mean her kids do or say something that embarrass her and she is mad at them. When you look at an astrological influence you must make a conclusion about where and how you think the influence will manifest. The simplest and most straight forward way to predict the astrological influence which is present on November 4th 2008 is to say the candidate that is not expected to win will win, however my conclusion is that Obama wins after a day of chaos at the polls.

Whoever wins we know has a very tough job ahead of them, the chart of the USA is in very bad shape, indicating bankruptcy, continued disruption, and economic problems. However the nation seems to come together in June of 2009, that whoever wins can pull together the divisiveness and unite the country in hope and expectation. As difficult as the upcoming charts indicate there is the protection and gift from Jupiter; optimism, hope, and with it the opportunity to learn that will take us to a better future.



Brent

Peaceful Joy asked:


Just curious. I wonder how the demographics break down in this area. It seems that the supporters of Obama on this site appear to be younger, less educated, and less understanding of the issues.

Barbara

Anthony Wayne asked:


Seems text messaging has caught on in the Campaign for Presidential Nominee.

Hilary Rodham Clinton announced in May that she would use SMS to garner support for her campaign. The “mobile-to-mobile text-messaging push” targets the 230 million Americans who use cell phones. Her efforts signal she is hunting for every possible vote in her battle for top nominee spot against rival Sen. Barack Obama. Supporters of Clinton can send the word “JOIN” to short code 77007 and will in return receive updates and news, as well as personal messages and photos focused on the area they live in. Clinton wants to use the technology to provide more personalized updates to supporters nationwide. Clinton also wants to encourage voters to add their opinion and steer them toward her website from their mobile web browsers.

In the last week of June, Barack Obama announced the launch of an SMS service for his presidential nominee campaign. Supporters send the word “GO” to the short code “OBAMA”(62262). Users can request information from the campaign, find out when the next important public appearance is, get speeches sent via text and submit their opinions and advise. Obama wants to buld on the grassroots volunteer network as part of his campaign push. The campaign will also provide ringtones and wallpaper with an “Obama theme”.

It was John Edwards however, who was the first in this Presidential campaign to use SMS technology. Last year Edwards launched a site dedicated exclusively to tracking and posting his text messages while he travels around the country looking for support. The site is updated constantly and displays both the time and date that the text was sent from Edwards’ phone. The site also includes a daily short code that users can use to receive updated information on his campaign, in addition to brief campaign platform issues.

Relevant Facts and Figures

* There are currently 236,000,000 cell phone users in the U.S. — 76% penetration.

* 10.5% of homes in the U.S. are wireless only (projected to be 30% by end 2008)

* In December 2006 alone, there were 18.7 billion text messages sent — up 92% from 9.7 billion in December 2005. 195 billion for the year

* In the first six months of 2006, the number of subscribers to two-way SMS (text messaging) grew by 88%.

* According to the NPD Group, by mid-2006, 42% of all wireless subscribers used their wireless phone as their primary phone.

* By the middle of 2006, almost half of wireless customers in the U.S. were using some form of wireless data — surfing the wireless web, sending text and photo-messages, or downloading and playing games, ringtones, or music files.



Martin

Frankie M asked:


Obama is weak on Israel and the Jewish hardliners are very wary of him and for good reason. How does Obama plam to handle the extremists/terrorist problem?

Robert

FALL 92 asked:


And his name is STILL being spell-checked by Yahoo as “Osama”.

I love it - gives the Obama-haters more reason to rip their clothes and throw their hats on the floor.

Jill

Dee Gerrish asked:




Already,  Obama…President elect….has inserted his foot into his mouth!  During his first …very late to get started, very short…conference,  he made the remark that he had already spoken to a few of the Presidents….those living…and made a snide comment/reference to Nancy Reagan holding seances and then when asked about “the puppy” he made another snide remark that “shelter dogs were nothing more than mutts like me”.    I am sure that Shelters around the United States surely appreciate that snide remark that basically shelters dogs were not worthy of being adopted because they were nothing more than “mutts”.  Shame, Shame Obama!  Shame on you!

He hasn’t even spent 1 day in the White House and already he’s pissed people off with snide remarks.  It also irritated me that he made the comment that his daughter was “allergic” and so they needed to ensure that the dog they get is “hypoallergenic” and that there were plenty of “hypoallergenic” dogs they could consider.

First of all, Obama elect, there is NO such thing as a hypoallergenic dog.  He claims to be so intelligent and yet, made this ridiculous claim!  As stated before,  I see why so many people get this fact incorrect.  Too many people make the claim that there are dogs out there or breeds out there who are hypoallergenic.  SORRY TO BURST THE BUBBLE, THERE ARE NO SUCH DOGS IN EXISTANCE.



Yes, there are low allergen dogs; Yes, there are low shedding dogs………HELLO, OBAMA….some of those low shedding, low dander, low allergan dogs may be “MUTTS”.   To make the claim that “unfortunately many shelter dogs are mutts like me” and that it would be impossible for them to find a hypoallergenic shelter dog was a huge GAFF by Obama Elect!   If he actually believes he will get a hypoallergenic purebred dog or a hypoallergenic dog of any breed type,  he’d better think again.  An article that mentioned the Goldendoodle dog,  http://apnews. myway. com/article/20081108/D94AMU480. html   claimed the Goldendoodle dog is a “no shed” type when that is not correct.  The Goldendoodle is a “low shed” hybrid.  Every living thing sheds, to some degree or another. 

Let me name just a few  ”MUTTS”  for Obama elect, that are considered to be MUTTS by purebred fanatics, but who are really hybrid dogs that come from the pairing of two purebred dogs:

1. LhasaPoo  2. Schnoodle  3. Schnapso  4. Sch Zhu-Poo 5. Goldendoodle 6. Malti-Poo 7. Labradoodle  8. Bedlington Doodle  9.  Terri-Poo  10.  Wheaten-Poo  11. Shepadoodle

and the list will literally continue to be quite lengthy, but basically, any purebred dog mixed with Poodle would work out very well.   It is also very unfortunate that Obama made that snide comment about shelter dogs because there are many mixed breed and purebred dogs sitting in shelters waiting for a family home and who would work out well for the Obama’s daughters’ need regarding low shedding, low dander and low allergen.

It makes me wonder if he or Michelle have even had their daughter tested to even find out what their daughter’s allergy issues/triggers are!  I also have news for the Obamas…..unless they plan to NEVER let the dog outside,  any dog they obtain no matter what breed type, is going to track pollen into the White House.  Look, lets be realistic here!  The Obamas have nothing to worry about regarding a dog!  They will have so many staff members who can bathe, take care of the dog, clean up after, feed, walk or whatever is needed for the new coming dog that they don’t need to worry about any kind of dog they get!

I hardly doubt Michelle or the newly elected President or either daughter will be the ones taking that dog outside for walks or giving it a bath or feeding it.  I am very positive they won’t even be taking the dog to a veterinarian…the VET will come to THEM.   Perhaps like the other Presidents and their families,  the only time you’ll see the dog will be for photo ops!  There is no way I can see them doing the dog duties or taking up any of the responsibilities that come with owning a dog, especially their kids.  Sorry, I don’t see it. 

Obama has already back peddled on some of his promises!  I knew that was coming.  Regarding taxes,  he has now said he doesn’t have any plans to tax the upper class rich.  Wow! Who saw that coming??  That would mean that he and his friends would have to be taxed and make less money.  Who thought he was really for the poor and the hard working middle class?



Leo

Gian Fiero asked:


With the world now scrutinizing his every move, President Obama continues to carry himself in the self-assured manner for which he is known. He has displayed the aura and demeanor of a leader since day one of his campaign, and has exhibited powerful lessons on leadership which have been exemplary. This article touches upon those lessons and the virtues that effective leaders must uphold.

HAVE A VISION

The presidential election was not won by playing the status quo game of politics. It was won based upon the fervent articulation of a vision which was intertwined with the visions that Americans have for their lives and their children’s lives. It was a vision which showed that President Obama was able to recognize, appreciate, and understand the needs of his followers. He knew that the American people had lost trust in the country’s leadership; his vision spoke to restoring it. He knew the American people were overcome by a tidal wave of hopelessness that was causing many to drown in despair; his vision offered hope. Every leader must have a vision which offers tangible benefits for those that they lead.

EMPOWER OTHERS

According to John C. Maxwell, one of the nation’s foremost authorities on leadership and author of Leadership 101, leaders don’t delegate; they empower people. When you empower people, you work with and through people. You enable others to reach the highest levels in their personal and professional development. The main difference between management and leadership is that leadership is about influencing people to follow, while management focuses on maintaining systems and processes.

Faced with a daunting list of tasks including the ending of a war, tangled foreign policies, fragile international relations, mounting health care concerns, and a weakening economy on the verge of collapse, President Obama expressed early on the importance of not only hiring, but empowering the right people (i.e., most qualified). He knows that his brilliance must reflect on others, who in turn will reflect their brilliance upon him. This is said to be the best collection of brilliant minds ever assembled for a White House administration that’s dedicated to creating plans, finding solutions, and managing the details of bringing President Obama’s vision for America to life. Leaders must employ the same strategy and empower the right people.

HAVE CHARACTER

On this subject of character Maxwell writes: There are three qualities that a leader must exemplify to build trust: competence, connection, and character. Character is the only effective bulwark against internal and external forces that lead to a country’s disintegration or collapse. Standing up for your beliefs in the face of adversity shows tremendous character. It’s often when true character - or lack there of - is revealed. While you can assign someone to a leadership position, you can not assign trustworthiness. That has to be earned over time and through the demonstration of character that’s consistent of a true leader.

HAVE A MESSAGE

All leaders should have a message - a message they deliver consistently. In public relations the primary emphasis is on the development and consistent delivery of the message. Good PR entails and thrives upon positive communications and interactions between a person, organization, or company and the public on whom its success or failure depends.

Effective leaders establish a personal relationship between the message and their target audience. In other words, they make sure their individual followers care enough about that message so they are emotionally influenced to respond it. President Obama’s successful influence is due in large part to this basic PR tenet.

KNOW EXPECTATIONS & PRIORITIES

Leaders also thrive on expectations and know how to prioritize in terms of importance and urgency. Mark McKinnon, a consultant who worked for a time for Senator John McCain, Mr. Obama’s Republican opponent in the presidential election was quoted as saying: “People are going to give Obama more time than they would any other new president because they know he is dealing with unprecedented challenges. The economic crisis President-elect Obama faces may in some ways help him - it is taking some of the helium out of what would otherwise be stratospheric expectations.”

After being in office less than two weeks he won House approval for an $819 billion stimulus plan to aid the nation’s ailing economy “with no time to spare,” and signed his first bill into law, The Lilly Ledbetter Pay Restoration Act which is a new law that makes it easier for employees to sue their employers for discrimination in paying them and effectively nullifies the legal limitations.

“It is fitting that the very first bill that I sign — the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act — that it is upholding one of this nation’s founding principles: that we are all created equal, and each deserve a chance to pursue our own version of happiness,” Obama said upon signing.

LANGUAGE & DEMEANOR

Words like integrity, values, ethics, responsibility, and principles belong to the lexicon of effective leaders who choose their words felicitously. They are aware of the influence that their messages, demeanor, and actions communicate. When President Obama was seen “dusting off his shoulders” while campaigning against Hillary Clinton and “exchanging pounds” with his wife, he subtly communicated his blackness to both whites and blacks.

Taken out of context or ill-timed they would not have registered as positively, but after then Senator Obama established himself as the front-runner for the presidency and a bona fide leader, these two little gestures received big reactions and cemented his status as a politician with personality. It also illustrated his emotional intelligence (awareness of how others feel) and tacit knowledge (street smarts) which have been intangible traits of the greatest leaders.

FULFILL REQUIREMENTS FOR SUCCESS

Great leaders have a profound reverence for their role. They don’t revel in power, but in their ability to affect change. They are possessed and obsessed with their greatest responsibility: fulfilling the requirements for success in their every endeavor. They know that their success is not their own, but the success of their followers. Yes, being a leader is a difficult task in which your effectiveness is measured by the results you get, and your legacy is determined in the aftermath of your reign. President Obama summed it up in his inauguration speech which I will use to sum up this article:

“What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character than giving our all to a difficult task.”



Ramon