The Self-Destruction of the Republican Party?

I came across these comments this morning:

(From-  http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20090910/pl_politico/26970)

“I was incredibly disappointed in the tone of his speech,” said Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).”At times, I found his tone to be overly combative and believe he behaved in a manner beneath the dignity of the office. I fear his speech tonight has made it more difficult — not less — to find common ground. 

“He appeared to be angry at his critics and disappointed the American people were not buying the proposals he has been selling… If the Obama administration and congressional Democrats go down this path and push a bill on the American people they do not want, it could be the beginning of the end of the Obama presidency.”

Rep. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), who is running for Obama’s old Senate seat, said, “He talked at us. He didn’t listen to us… It was a missed opportunity.”

Added Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.): “I sat there tonight wondering what the purpose of this evening was. I was hoping to hear the president flesh out a middle ground, but instead we heard platitudes and campaign rhetoric.”

Huh??? 

Did they play a different speech on TV than was presented to the Joint Session? The only anger, fear, combative energy, ‘talking at’ the audience, and rhetoric that I heard came straight from Congressman Joe Wilson. Many of the criticisms of the president’s address are coming from Republicans. After the last presidential campaign season and the August Town Hall meetings perhaps there should be no surprise here. You do have to wonder though- how long will the Republicans continue with this strategy of deliberate distortion. We saw this in the campaign: For weeks, the Republican Party bombarded the airwaves with the claim that Obama will raise taxes, carefully neglecting that his plan called for an increase for only 5% of the wealthiest of the population. This deliberate distortion created fear, anxiety and mistrust.

Sarah Palin continued her divisive tactics to create and generate negative energy with her inflammatory interjection of “death panels” into the healthcare reform debate. While the actual wording concerns end-of-life counseling, Palin deliberately equated this counseling with euthanasia and infanticide. This strategy of fear mongering will gather support from those already filled with negative energy— like energy attracts like energy.

The message for any leader who is serious about creating the positive changes that will lead to positive results is that this strategy, can never work in the long-term. In a state of negative energy, the best you can hope for is chaos, lack of cooperation, negative attitudes and people stuck in Victim mentality. Simply put, negative energy in any human energy system is counterproductive to success.  On a regular basis I encounter many who disagree with my interpretation of the importance of the polarity of human energy in organizational systems. For those dissenters I would ask that you observe our current political landscape. The self-destruction of the Republican party, should it continue on its current path, is inevitable and will be documented by leadership strategists for eras to come.

The Leadership of “We Are One”…. Another Example

09/09/09

“That large heartedness — that concern and regard for the plight of others — is not a partisan feeling. It is not a Republican or a Democratic feeling. It, too, is part of the American character. Our ability to stand in other people’s shoes. A recognition that we are all in this together; that when fortune turns against one of us, others are there to lend a helping hand.” 

Once again our president echoes the theme of “We Are One”. I, for one, am glad to have this out on the table. The issue of Social Justice. Equality- in this case- the opportunity for all citizens to have equal access to healthcare. In the wealthiest country of the world – a country quick to point out injustices in other corners of the world- we continue to struggle to provide this basic right to all. Of course at some point we must admit that a major obstacle is the negative emotional energy so apparent in some Americans. Tonight, the whole world was witness to this as Congressman Joe Wilson (reported by the AP as of 9:20PM this evening) of South Carolina yells out, “You Lie”, refusing to allow our president the courtesy of completing his proposal.

Leadership begins with the understanding of the ‘synergy’ created when people are able to work together to achieve a common goal. Synergy is the alignment and collaboration of individuals to increase power and effectiveness to produce results that would otherwise be improbable. Leadership creates an environment that results in the synergy of positive human energies. Leadership does not just happen by chance or the positive intent to do so. It is the result of the application of specific universal principles of human energies. And this is what tonight’s speech was about. Collaboration. Accountability. Cooperation. Initiative. Support. Communication.  

Barack Obama understands that it is not power over people that will allow us to achieve this goal; it is power with people that you achieve the positive results you desire. All that exists is energy. We are energy. Positive energy ultimately yields positive results. Not everyone chooses to play at this level – as evidenced by Congressman Joe Wilson this evening. When all is said and done, Like Energy attracts Like Energy.

Am I My Brother’s Keeper?

I must admit. I am perplexed. We live in the richest country in the world. In comparison to other countries, many enjoy a lifestyle of comfort and security. We enjoy the freedom of speech, assembly and worship. So why the debate on healthcare? There is an element in our country that would deny their own neighbors access to healthcare with the claim that it is a privilege, not a right. A privilege based on what? Many of these dissenters hail from the religious Right. While my background is Catholicism, there is nothing in the Bible that I can recall that even hints that the care of others is a privilege; and in fact I can think of numerous references to its opposite.  I freely admit, I am a Catholic on the fringe (bordering on excommunication at any minute) the ideals of Christ and social justice that I was taught are in direct contradiction to the opposition of healthcare for all. In fact, it is the ideals of Christ and the Church’s affirmative action on many social justice issues that keeps me aligned to the Church at all.

Am I my brother’s keeper?

Barack Obama uses that phrase often. That is the question that all of us will wrestle with at some point. How you answer that question now may be an indicator of where you stand on this issue. Recall these words:

……….This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time—to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth—that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:  Yes We Can.

                                                                                                                                                            President Elect Barack Hussein Obama
                                                                                                                                                            Chicago, Il • November 4, 2008 

I have my answer. While we are many……. We Are One.

 

Make this your best day yet.

In Memoriam to Senator Kennedy ~ Let us never forget.

In the following words by Ted Kennedy in the last days of his life, note the theme of “We Are One” in his passion to create healthcare reform.

“This is the cause of my life. It is a key reason that I defied my illness last summer to speak at the Democratic convention in Denver—to support Barack Obama, but also to make sure, as I said, “that we will break the old gridlock and guarantee that every American…will have decent, quality health care as a fundamental right and not just a privilege.” For four decades I have carried this cause—from the floor of the United States Senate to every part of this country. It has never been merely a question of policy; it goes to the heart of my belief in a just society…it’s always been deeply personal, because the importance of health care has been a recurrent lesson throughout most of my 77 years.”

Senator Ted Kennedy
Newsweek • July 27, 2009

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