May the Force Be With ... Who?

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Hillary Clinton's final words in Saturday night's Democratic debate were, "Good night and may the Force be with you." Big smile. Big applause.

According to my Jedi research and for those not quite so familiar, Clinton's closing line refers to a "Star Wars" phrase that wishes "luck or good will when individuals parted ways or the object of the expression was facing some sort of imminent challenge."

On the other side of the political spectrum, Donald Trump's closing words in the last Republican debate were, "Nothing works in our country." Doing my Trump research, that indicates everything in our country is a dangerous mess except "me, Donald J. Trump.”

Therein lies the choice. As we come down to the last days of the 2015 campaign season, two things are becoming clear. Clinton and Trump are positioned to be the candidates nominated for president of the United States. What a race it will be. We definitely will need the Force to be with all of us.

People have been talking about how much money Clinton has raised to finance her campaign almost from day one. She's going to need it.

The Republicans will throw every piece of dirt they can find on her and husband Bill Clinton in an effort to win while Trump, the man with the deepest pockets, stands ready to continue slinging more than arrows. But Trump has enough of his own mud to be dug up and thrown right back. Coupled with his constant fear mongering trying to masquerade as substance, we have quite a year ahead of us.

Despite the best attempts of Democratic National Committee to bury its last debate of the year on the Saturday night before Christmas, the candidates overcame their scheduling handicap with a strong performance that in the end strengthened Hillary's position. 

I found irony in ABC network's programming decision to use the game show "Jeopardy" as the lead in to the Democratic debate. When that show ended, the debate bizarrely popped up almost as if it was another game show. That category, unfortunately, could best describe too much of the Republican presidential campaign that was not playing that night.

2016 Presidential Debate Winners - The Public

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The five Republican presidential debates and two Democratic debates have produced a clear winner. The public. The debates, for better or worse, have generated more interest, anticipation and dialogue among potential voters than any time in recent history. Because of that, there is no clear loser.

The Pew Research Center reports that seven in ten people have watched some part of the debates prior to last night's Republican debate. That's 69% of the public. Almost three quarters of them say they have given some thought to the candidates. One year ahead of the election. 

The current level of engagement by the public has been generated by a confluence of the large numbers of media involved and the politicians themselves. We’ve been instructed how to watch the debates, who's on first and who's rounding up last place. We’ve been angered by the outrageousness of some of the candidates’ remarks and perhaps found a comforting comment here and there.

Whether it's the negativity, anger or touted political policies, this year's debates have created a unique learning curve that has changed the political process in ways totally unexpected.  

While some have felt there have been too many debates, and others have described them as "fun" to watch as if they are a spectator sport, there are few people who say they don't have some kind of opinion. The smaller Democratic field with fewer debates has created a calmer approach, but the sheer number of Republican debates is providing substantial exposure. They have enabled us to get to a point previously unseen. Last night’s debate showcased Jeb Bush actually standing up to Donald Trump when the New York businessman attacked him. The crassness of Ted Cruz met head on with ripe for the fight Marco Rubio. And John Kasich's young daughter unexpectedly became one of the best focus groups, saying she doesn't like politics because "there's too much fighting, too much yelling."

The winnowing out process has begun. Substance is starting to sneak through. The more we see of the 2016 group of politicians running for president of the United States, the more we learn. The key will be turning our current level of engagement and interest into actual votes.

The New "Founder Generation" Challenge

The generation born near the end of the year 2000, previously known as "Gen Z," has formally announced a name change - "The Founder Generation.” More than 1000 young people, ages 13 and 14, were recently surveyed by MTV, the cable music network, and given an opportunity to more clearly define themselves. When asked what they would like their generation to be called, the group boldly responded with a surprisingly clear sense of identity. 

Aside from new naming rights, the study revealed insights into their generational ways of thinking that provide a small window into our potential new order. Our youngest teens apparently feel they're following on the heels of a disruptive millennial generation, putting them in line to be the ones responsible for building a "better world."

That's what the rest of us could call a heavy lift.

These teenagers are the post 9/11 generation that was uniquely born into a world where terrorism has been a constant and real domestic threat. Where families have lived and raised them amidst the worst financial crisis since the Depression. And where technology is a significant and faster driver of life than ever before. 

That's what could be called a triple challenge.

We've left it to MTV to shine a light on common threads in young people's thinking. 90% of those surveyed said they are "going to start a new society where diversity is accepted and encouraged." 91% said they're "optimistic our generation can build a better world," and they've expressed a "pragmatic" approach to making their way through that world. 

Optimism and pragmatism coming from the minds of today's youngest teens could be one of the greatest gifts they bring to a society badly in need. Add to that a real acceptance of diversity, because they themselves are the most diverse generation in history. Imagine if world leaders, politicians and business people would actually hear those words and begin to put them into effect as they work toward tomorrow. That's a momentary optimistic thought that refreshes the mind and spirit.

While there are ruminations and some attempts beginning, broad-based positive social activism has not been a cause taken up by the millennial generation. A hands on approach for effectuating real societal change will, in all likelihood, be left up to both the millennial and Founder generations. Working together and building on the strengths of their foundations and numbers could well set the stage for the emergence of a different kind of "New World," as long as they don't get pulled into old traps. Perhaps it's time for the adults to take notice and begin tuning in.

A Paris Taxi Ride

There were some in Paris who anticipated last Friday's Bataclan terrorist attack in their city. They were neither part of the French government or intelligence communities. Though without specifics, they were what we would call ordinary citizens who happened to be part of the Jewish community living in Paris. They have lived with a heightened and continual sense of fear since the Charlie Hebdo and kosher supermarket bombings last January. Their fight to live in the moment became unexpectedly personal for me weeks ago during a visit to Paris.

As I wound my way through the side streets of the Left Bank of the Seine River on a grey drizzly Sunday, I decided to hail a cab rather than continue to walk in the rain. It's still more a rarity than the norm to find a woman as taxi driver, whether in Paris, New York City or Washington, D.C. But there she was, a very attractive middle-aged woman sitting behind the wheel in the front seat. She appeared to be in her fifties, comfortable with herself and with her rider's not exactly fluent French.

My taxi driver and I never exchanged names. But we talked. Initially it was a brief give and take with me asking where she was from, instinctively thinking it might not be Paris. She told me that she grew up in the Mauritius, a beautiful island in the middle of the Indian Ocean off the eastern coast of Africa. When I asked why she left and moved to Paris, she amicably replied, "Young and stupid." By now we seemed strangely relaxed with each other given our short time of acquaintance. She asked if I was married. I told her I was divorced and had a son. Without missing a beat she said, "Me too." We were finding we had more in common than originally expected. Our relationship was now a little stronger. She was becoming less a stranger.

The traffic was heavy as we traveled down the Champs Elysees, adding more time to our trip. With all that we asked of each other, asking our names didn’t seem to be part of it. Perhaps that's why the conversation continued as it did. We simply kept talking.

"What part of Paris do you live in?" She told me she lived in the 17th referring to the Arrondissement or district of the city, and then surprisingly added, "The Jewish area." Without hesitation I told her I was Jewish and somewhat cautiously asked if she was, not knowing for certain. She explained, "I'm Jewish in faith. It's by your mother you know, so I am not. But my father is." I asked if she felt anti-Semitism now in Paris. While it's become common knowledge to a point, I wanted to hear from her personally. "Oh yes, I have to hide," she said quite calmly. "I only told you because you told me you were Jewish. We all worry now about anyone knowing." 

When I heard her talk about hiding, it took me less than a half second to flash back in my mind to Jews throughout Europe during World War II.

My taxi driver continued to explain, "Look at what happened in January with the bombings. We know the radicals are plotting. You never know when they will strike. I get up at 5 a.m. every morning while it's dark to get into my taxi. I don't feel safe." Then she added something I hadn't heard in a long time. "I don't have a Jewish face. That helps. They wouldn't know I was Jewish by looking at me."

As we arrived at my destination, each of us lingered an extra second as if not wanting the conversation to end. She turned and looked at me as I began to reach for the door. "Be well," she said. "You too," I replied.

It is impossible to forget her or this ride in the City of Light. Tragically her words haunted me in the context of all that has taken place in Paris since last Friday.                                                           

It's a Wild and Crazy Republican Presidential Campaign Ride

When politics becomes as much about the media outlets that cover the political process as it does the candidates they showcase, you know we have a problem. The commercialization of the 2016 presidential election is in full force.

The four Republican presidential debates that are being hosted by Fox News, CNN, CNBC and Fox Business Network appear to have blurred together in a promotional landscape, while the candidates are jousting for position and lead. That has never been the intent of the process, and the public is not the winner.

Last night's Republican debate bordered on dull as viewers sorted through the now repeated candidate rhetoric trying to glean real substance. There was some substance but not enough, and at this point in the game that isn't enough.

Before the debate there was as much hype about how the Fox moderators would handle the discourse as there was about how the candidates would perform. It became yet another form of political advertising, but this time with the cable channel making the money. A lot of it. Election season has historically been a big money making time for television and cable, and this year looks like it will be a blockbuster.

And perform seems to be an appropriate word. As the Twitterverse lit up with its own comments, I found it pretty much on target that Twitter’s analytics showed my most read tweet was "Trump got in a 60 Minutes promo while on Fox debate." It was simply an observational note of a seemingly unnoticed deft move by Trump. His reference to a CBS program was purposely made to stand out more than the supposed explanation of his relationship with Putin.

Our presidential campaigns are the most serious elections we hold in this country, yet that seems to be getting lost in the mix. The media's job is to inform and educate. If the cable networks take on the enormous responsibility of hosting presidential debates, let's cut the promo machines and get down to the serious business of trying to elect a president.

Jeb Bush /October 29, 2015

Jeb Bush is in rebellion against his own candidacy to win the Republican nomination for President of the United States. He has seemingly been operating that way almost from the beginning. It's a quiet rebellion that’s been building while his public image has been sustained by an infusion of donor money, and most importantly the Bush family. Politics may be in Jeb Bush’s blood but it's been hidden during this campaign, and at this point he's losing the race.

The 2016 Republican campaign has, to this point, been mainly about impressions. It takes people nanoseconds to form an impression about someone, and that impression remains in our minds for a long time unless something happens to make it change. It’s becoming apparent that Jeb is not going to change. The impression he is leaving us with is one of weakness.

It begins at the beginning. If a candidate wants to win, picking up on the pulse of the electorate is critical. Voters want to like the candidate they support, and feel confident that he or she is up to the job. The good old Reagan likability factor. It's gotten very hard for Jeb Bush to score likability points dressing in boxy suits and rimless glasses that don’t look “today.” He doesn’t sound “today” in speeches or at the debates, and his interest in the job he supposedly wants seems forced. No matter how many people have been rooting for Jeb Bush to succeed, he now appears to lack one of the most critical success factors of all - the passionate desire to win.  

The Bush family is sacrosanct to millions of people. They are a political dynasty that has produced two presidents with a strong family matriarch behind the scenes. Perhaps they have pushed the youngest son too hard to enter the family business. There's a certain part of him that seems to say, "I'd take the job if it was handed to me on my terms." But Jeb Bush should know better than most that the presidency is one job that can't be handed to anyone. You have to work really hard to earn it.

2016 Political Headache

This political season has become deafening. It's almost impossible to hear any sanity come through amidst the extraordinary cacophony of noise.

The Freedom Caucus is spewing its demanding and extremist rants as Paul Ryan moves toward election as the new Speaker of the House. Then we can move on to the two top Republican candidates, Ben Carson and Donald Trump. These two men are winding their way around the country trying to skew inflammatory remarks as substance. What real political dialogue is being created by Carson and Trump that can benefit the American public?

Respect for the opposition has gone by the board. Minutes after Vice President Joe Biden announced that he wasn't going to run for president, Donald Trump could only repeatedly refer to him as "Biden" while addressing a crowd. Never once did Trump use his first name or title, which happens to be vice president of the United States.

While Biden closed his chapter with style and a comment about the importance of working together, Trump went on to say he couldn't wait to go against Hillary. The tone in which his words were spoken was like that of a hungry lion looking for fresh meat. 

And the Benghazi hearings. Whether you like Former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton or not, watching and listening to the hearings reminded me of one of the darkest moments in political history - the McCarthy hearings. Yesterday's hearing was a witch hunt that showed the worst of the Republican party.

We deserve so much more in a presidential race. Which of the candidates running for president of the United States is leading the way to bring out the best in all of us and in our country? 

As one young voter recently said to me, "Is this the best we can do?" 

Hillary and Carly - Two Women As 2016 Presidential Candidates

Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Carly Fiorina appeared on their respective presidential debate stages surrounded by men. They represented their gender simply by being there, but their presence as women said much more. It's the first time two women, despite their vast political differences, have been front and center in the same year as presidential candidates.

It's an image that was impossible not to see, but one that’s all too familiar to successful businesswomen who have had no choice but to adapt to being the only woman in rooms filled with men in male dominated professions. Clinton and Fiorina are the products of those kinds of backgrounds.

For years strong women have been viewed as threatening by many men. The psychology of that thinking has been studied, reviewed, and studied again. Strength alone, that attribute viewed as a golden commodity in men, has blunted many a female career. But it seems we’ve reached an important turning point. While Clinton is today's Democratic frontrunner and Fioina is trailing in the Republican race, each woman is being taken seriously by their challengers (Trump aside) and the public, creating a landmark in its own right. 

Watching Fiorina at the Republican debates showed a woman who had learned her presentation skills well as she climbed the corporate ladder reaching CEO status at Hewlett-Packard. She knew how to firmly and clearly deliver her thoughts.

But Fiorina’s thoughts regarding women's issues struck a raw nerve with many women and cannot be disregarded. Fiorina stated that paid maternity leave should be left up to the private sector to decide, not the government. Reality check. If businesses had been providing maternity leave all along, there would have been no need for the government to get involved. Her attacks on a woman's right to choose and factually incorrect statements about Planned Parenthood showed a woman who forgot the importance of the word choice for women in the entire matter.

At the first Democratic presidential debate, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton came off as a smart, self-assured woman comfortable in her own skin. She has been a strong supporter of women over the years, but it has surprisingly taken her until this point to bring women’s issues to the forefront of her campaign. Family leave and work-life balance now have a formal candidate champion. It’s about time.

The fact that it has taken until 2015-16 to have two women running for president at the same time speaks to the gender bias that has been a part of our political system since our country was founded. We have a long way to go to reach any kind of parity in U. S. politics. Europe has set the bar for strong women in positions of political leadership showcasing British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The 2016 presidential election will test whether the United States is ready to do the same.

The 2016 Presidential Campaign and Our Kids - The Beginning

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As the Democrats are about to square off in their first debate, the Republican presidential candidates have been squaring off since day one. Polls are tracking their appeal to voters, their approval or disapproval of each candidate, and their likability. The one thing they haven't been tracking is the affect the candidates are having on young people, from the very young to those about to reach voting age.

The too often outrageous comments made by Donald Trump are followed by a different kind of outrageous by Ben Carson and Carly Fiorina, with anger visibly showing in Ted Cruz and verbally building in Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio. We're all taking notice and forming our own opinions, but so are our kids. 

Any child old enough to view a screen, hold a phone or have access to a computer can hear and see our candidates as well. A Harvard study, “Inferring Character From Faces,” was published last year showing that children as young as three years old tend to judge an individual's character traits such as trustworthiness and competence simply by looking at a face, and it doesn't change much as they get older. They just hear more.

Those who are freshman in high school this year will become first time voters in the 2020 presidential election. They too are listening, watching and reading all the time while soaking up the winds of all going on around them right now, let alone what will take place in the next four years. Their path to learning about politics will be paved by this campaign and the eventual winner in 2016.

Do we really want our kids to learn that the way you get to be President of the United States, the highest political office in the land, is by bullying, bigotry, prejudice, sexism and anger? 

Think big sandbox. 

Think role models.