Advice for President Obama on Building the Party

Max's advice for March 22, 2009

Dear President Obama,

Max grew up as the son of a man who knew 'ALL' the answers to the problems of the world. Max's father said so! Many times, his father let everyone know that anyone who didn't know that he had the answers was a turkey or a knucklehead.

The famous Ma Bell, the second most powerful force in the world (next to God of course), thought so much of Max's father's opinions that she made him 'Supervisor of Troubles'. This is true!

The advice Max promised you, President Obama.

Use your position to strengthen the party in places where it has been weak!

Max knows something about working from weakness. Despite numerous degrees and excellent work performance, he spent years paid less than people who did lower quality work and had fewer credentials. Max did not participate in the office politics and instead focused on the work he agreed to do.

You know the results. Promotions, bonuses and pay increases went to people who did play the politics, even when their performance hurt the business.

President Obama, you need to keep playing the political game. Ignore the talking heads who call on you to stop campaigning. If you can stay focused on the job and marry that with keeping the political focus, you will position the party to support you.

Bi-partisanship is good when both parties practice it. It is easier to accomplish in the Senate with the longer times between contests than in the House. This is something that you know even better after the battle for the Stimulus Bill.

Constantly being accessible to the nation, answering random questions from the public and trips into the heartland of the nation have infuriated your political foes. Keep up the good work!

In this interim period between elections, your ability to bring your message to the nation from any part of the country is a tool you should continue to use in places where your party has not always been well received. The bi-partisan nature of some of these visits confounds your critics.

In places where the politicians refuse to play a bi-partisan game, it is fair that you allow some light to shine on people in your own party who would like to replace these political isolationists.

Your presence and the presence of key members of your cabinet in places resisting the need to raise the nation out of this recession can go a long way toward building local support.

With the new high-price helicopters that you took heat from earlier this year you can quickly reach out to the countryside to see the need for stimulus where it exists. Once the money has been spent, you get a second chance to highlight the difference that a caring administration has made.

The more you are seen engaging real people, the more sense your approach to the issues seems. Sometimes you need to be careful using numbers like the salary of a bus driver or electrician. Some may make the high numbers you throw out, but a lot more make quite a bit less. Different types of bus drivers make different salaries. While some jobs have benefits, many jobs in all professions come without benefits of any kind.

Max wishes you well in all your efforts to communicate your message.

Max writes about greenways, rare diseases, timely topics, places to eat, travel and other issues of interest. He encourages you to add your comments.

Link one is to a site showing the average salary range for bus drivers in the United States.

Link two is to a site showing the average salary range for electricians in the United States.

Link three is a site describing Solar Power Technician opportunities and training.