The Second Term

June 30, 2014 by

A common point made in the run-up to the recent presidential election was that Obama's re-election made history. There is one clear reason for the facuality of this assertion: not since Franklin D. Roosevelt had a majority of voting Americans re-elected a president with such a high unemployment rate. 76 years...1936 for Roosevelt and 2012 for Obama. That is genuinely historic. It brings me to an … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Barack Obama, Franklin Roosevelt, Second Team

1937 and You

March 13, 2013 by

In 1937, Franklin Roosevelt embarked on the first year of his second presidential term. Throughout the year, he had probably four key points in his mind. These points guided and fueled his approach to the presidency in 1937. They were: 1. Focus on overcoming those very specific entities that were most hostile to his domestic policies. 2. Seek to win victories in the upcoming off-year election, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: 1937, 2013, Barack Obama, Franklin Roosevelt

FDR and BHO: Two Plans

March 1, 2013 by

I recently conducted a Leadership Now Workshop on Franklin Roosevelt's second presidential term as a lens for looking at the upcoming second presidential term of Barack Obama. My point was that this lens might lay down certain markers to illuminate the course of the next four years. If you have to plan, vision, and strategize as a leader, in other words look ahead, it helps to have markers. Among … [Read more...]

Filed Under: 1937, Barack Obama, Franklin Roosevelt, Sequester

I Think I Was Ahead Of The Curve

April 20, 2012 by

Yesterday, one of the political columnists for whom I have the most respect, Daniel Henninger of the Wall Street Journal, wrote an article on the remarkably strong similarities between Barack Obama's 2012 re-election campaign and Franklin Roosevelt's 1936 re-election campaign. I point this out in light of a fact that Henninger didn't know (sigh): back in August 2011, nine months ago, I first … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Barack Obama, Economic Stagnation, Franklin Roosevelt, Late 1930s