Where Have All the Leaders Gone? by Lee Iacocca, Catherine Whitney Read Free Book Online Page B

But is Hillary the one? There is always a question mark about CHARACTER and CONVICTION hanging over her head. She’s a bit too slick and politically expedient, and her movement to the center leaves her without a strong political identity. Her style of COMMUNICATION is always very careful, as if she’s weighing the pros and cons of each word she utters. People often ask, “What does Hillary believe in?” I don’t think that question has been answered.
    Hillary has a huge team of advisors, with a core of loyalists that have been with her for ten to fifteen years. Her number one teammate is Bill Clinton, and maybe that’s Hillary’s biggest problem. Is America ready for the weird scenario of having the Clintons back in the White House in a reversal of roles? I try to be open-minded, but that’s a lot to get your head around. Would a Hillary Clinton presidency distract from the focus on the important issues we have to face? The media needs to press Hillary on why she wants to be President, and why she thinks she’s the best person for the job.
    Joe Biden is a career public servant. I’ve known Joe for many years, and I like the guy. He has many of the qualities that make a leader. He is COMPETENT, CREATIVE, and CURIOUS. He has COMMON SENSE. Not much CHARISMA, though. A lot of people think Biden is too plodding, but in my opinion this is a bum rap. And maybe what we really need this time around is someone who knows what he or she is doing. I’ve seen Joe inspire small groups of people with his simple command of facts and his logic. He’s not afraid to tell people what he thinks. There’s some great experience in that man—much of it in foreign affairs—if we’re willing to take advantage of it.
    Joe’s biggest challenge is that despite a long career in the Senate, he’s not that well known across the country. If he wants to convince us he’s ready to lead the nation, he’ll have to get outside his cozy insider’s world and COMMUNICATE his plan in a way that makes people pay attention.
    Barack Obama is one of those stars who seem to come from nowhere to capture the imagination of the nation. What’s not to like about this guy? He has CHARISMA and CONVICTION, and obviously he has strong COMMUNICATION skills. In my opinion, his race isn’t an issue. We’re as ready to elect a black man as we are to elect a woman. But is Obama the one? Is he COMPETENT to be President? He lacks experience in national government, and the media needs to push him on how he would lead—especially in foreign affairs. However, lack of experience isn’t always an insurmountable barrier. Look at the mess George Bush’s experienced team of Cheney and Rumsfeld made of things. But Obama is going to have to get very specific about what he would do and who would be on his team, in order for us to have enough confidence in him.
    John Edwards is a very appealing guy, and I think he’s shown CHARACTER in his choice of issues. Let’s face it: Standing up for the poor isn’t the best way to raise money for your candidacy. Right now, Edwards is the only real populist in the race. He can COMMUNICATE, and has some star power, which can also make him look a bit slick. He’s had plenty of CRISIS in his life—the death of a child, and a wife with breast cancer—and his response has been inspirational. But is he COMPETENT to be President? Edwards was only in the Senate for one term before dropping out to run with Kerry.
    One of the best things about John Edwards is his wife Elizabeth. She’s his closest advisor, and pretty much everyone agrees that she’s fantastic. His campaign manager is former congressman David Bonior from Michigan, who is a strong labor loyalist. I guess this shows where Edwards stands on domestic policy. Now let’s ask questions about his foreign policy plan.
    Bill Richardson: I met Bill Richardson a couple of times when we were promoting NAFTA. He’s very smart, and he has a keen understanding of foreign