One risk of being as partisan as I am is the risk of myopia. Indeed, it’s easy to buy into whatever the power-brokers serve up, even when you don't know you’re doing it. For example, like most of you, I have bought into the traditional president election model, where a handful of committed people knock the crap out of each other for two years to see who gets the keys to the Oval Office. With all due respect, that model has outlived its usefulness.
Instead of placating cults of personality, instead of dividing and conquering, maybe we should just ask our fearless leaders to do a three-way deal:
2008
President: Barack Obama
Vice: John Edwards
Def: Hillary Clinton
2012
President: Hillary Clinton
Vice: Barack Obama
State: John Edwards
2016
President: John Edwards
Vice: Hillary Clinton
State: Barack Obama
_I can make the case that we value all of these people for different and important reasons. If they could bring themselves to actually work together, the world would almost certainly be a better place. In business, the era of autocratic CEOs has come and gone - and good riddance to it.
If we want continuity and long-range planning, let’s ask those out front to work together to make it happen. Let's plan to plan, as best we can. If we say we want collaboration and teamwork, let’s insist on it. Now.
Here's the thing: If I could be certain that by supporting Barack Obama for president right now we could have all three lead candidates - and maybe even the others - collaborating over the next 12 years, I’d do it in a heartbeat.
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EXTRAS:
I started this idea as Obama/Edwards '08 and Edwards-Obama for 2012. And then I felt like a jerk for helping two guys gang up on a gal. I'm a feminist at heart.
If one of them doesn’t want to do the deal, the other two should. That’s the incentive. All three play, or the other two will gang up and kick butt.
If there’s no possibility of agreement on roles and sequencing, flip a freakin’ coin to decide. I’m serious.
Finally, if they don't do a deal, I’ll continue to support John Edwards, which I’ve been doing all along (unless he's the one who flat out rejects this idea).