Water Cooler Conversations

Written by Pat Perry
President, ERC 

Well here we go…the politicians are at it again.  The mud- slinging amongst the Presidential candidates has started coincident with the need for Primary votes.

The campaigns are straying away from the issues at hand and becoming personal.  Unfortunately, this is nothing new.

Can you imagine behaving like this at work?  The name calling, the spin and the acts of desperation are quite incredible - most children do not even act this way. 

I listen to my teenage daughter and her friends’ talk about this campaign - they are pretty unimpressed with us adults.  She looks at me and asks if this is the best the country has to offer?   I feel bad for her as I do for our country.  Not sure if what we see playing out on television during the debates and coverage is what the fore-fathers had in mind.

The name calling and stereotypes are the worst - not only is it inappropriate but on a national scale it seems to polarize this great country of ours.

So get ready.  As the weather starts heating up over the next few months so will the remaining campaigns.  My guess is that their words and name calling will only get worse, hoping that in the end some of the voters will stoop to their levels and actually believe all this nonsense.  Some of the candidates are probably hoping we will vote for someone because they are black, white or female - which of course has nothing to do with the real requirements of the President.

At that point, I will be tempted to call the Presidential hopefuls a few names, none of which includes the name Leader. 

Written by Pat Perry
President, ERC 

Another first Tuesday in November has come and gone.  Hopefully your candidate and/or Issue won.

The days and weeks leading up to an election are pretty interesting and lead me to the following observations:

• What other profession (Politicians) do you know where you can spend a good part of your time on your current job campaigning to keep your job or better yet, campaigning to get a better job?
• After watching so many mudslinging ads I am amazed that we elect any of the people involved in these ridiculous displays.
• Wouldn’t it be nice to get a new job by simply putting up obnoxious signs on neighborhood lawns?
• Why don’t they find the time to go door to door to see how we are doing after the election?
• Why do they get to make solicitation phone calls (to get elected) to our homes when private businesses cannot?

I am sure you have your own observations about the election process.  It is pretty amazing that many of us are just now using technology at the election booths and it is 2007!  This is scary stuff.

Most people that work do not get or keep jobs the way that politicians gain their positions.  For us non-political types it’s not about ad campaigns, eloquent speeches, public appearances in parades and kissing babies.

Perhaps one day, our election process might become a bit more progressive if it mirrored the way people find and keep jobs in the non-political sector.  Maybe if that day arrives, we will provide jobs to individuals who truly earn the title Political Leader.  And, their new campaign slogan will be:

Enclosed is my Resume.