May

28

The Presidential Objective

Filed Under Babbling, Political Musings, Writings/Rants 

We’re born into the Presidential Objective.

Every child growing up is told they could be an Astronaut, Fire Fighter, Doctor, Police Officer, or even President of the United States. All capitalized like that because they’re all important. And we reenforce these values as we grow up by making sure that we provide equal opportunities for each and every person, each and every day throughout their educational experience. Before they get out into that cruel and harsh Real World (not like the MTV show, which is also cruel and harsh), we provide them with the inspirational fuel that they’re all special and beautiful and unique little butterflies, and maybe, just maybe, they can do anything they want to in this world.

And what better way to look at it than this election cycle when a son of a naval war hero born in the Panama Canal zone, who served his country and was captured as a POW, and then after being a long-time senator is running for the presidential dream; when the son of a Kenyan immigrant and an American, born in Hawaii and raised between there and Indonesia, can go to law school and run for the presidential dream; and when the daughter raised by first generation Americans can be involved in conservative politics as a youth, marry a rising political star, and then run for her own presidential dream. We have three dream stories that show us that anything can happen. Just like the team winning the Stanley Cup, the World Series, or the Superbowl, they’re going to their political Disney World: 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. And not just to visit, but to sit behind the Resolute desk with the pen from the Eagle’s talon in one hand and the arrows in the form of a red phone near the other.

And this dream, is one that in grade schools, we start teaching. We let children all take turns being line leader. We let children take turns cleaning the chalkboard erasers. We let children take turns being door holder. We give them this responsibility and tell them that everyone in class gets the same chance. But its that power of the title and the responsibility of the position that sets fire to that dream.

The same three individuals still in this presidential race of 2008 all had the same chances to be that door holder, eraser cleaner, or line leader. And the teachers in schools still set forth chances for those responsibilities all over again. And with this, we foster the American dream. The truth? That we hold it all self evident that everyone is created equal.

If there isn’t a better example of that anywhere, just look at the future jock, future geek, future cheerleader, and future goth all playing together in the sandbox, all taking turns being line leader, and all holding the door for each other.

So why should we care? Why should this make a difference?

Its hard to really think about politics as a whole. I know that, and we all recognize that. What makes it so hard is that you have to jump right into the thick of it. Where we hear names like Zbigniew Brzezinski, Allan Greenspan, and Henry Kissinger that are treated as giants. Its hard to imagine that in future generations, our kids will see people like Colin Powell, Karl Rove, and Howard Wolfson as great commentators for what we’re going through nowadays. But its all with the agendas that we hold.

Because even if we can’t be President, we can be unique. We can find that one thing that we’re good at and do it so well that we create what we call in business, a competitive advantage.

So, The Presidential Objective. As a whole, its about finding your own competitive advantage over every other person out ther. That we’re all equal, but that we all can find that one thing that makes us special and different and propels us to that presidential spot. To that highest of highs where we are so unique and so much greater than the other fourty something people who have currently come before us, and somehow the right person for the right time.

Because, no matter how old you are, you can be an Astronaut, Fire Fighter, Doctor, Police Officer, or even President of the United States. Its who we are, and what we are. And the second we forget that, we’re forgetting that we’re all the same. The goth, the cheerleader, the jock, and the geek.

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    About The Site


    Thanks for stopping by, folks! My name is Adam J. Cohen, and I'm a guitarist/songwriter in Champaign, IL, recently relocated from Orlando, FL where I'm a UCF grad. Here, you'll find vignettes on my life, setlists and show reviews, and whatever else crosses my mind. Enjoy!