When I hear people voice their concern about “switching horses” in mid-stream, I can’t help but reflect on how deeply the administration’s talking points have penetrated the general consciousness. Lincoln’s slogan was a tactic, not a logical argument — whether applied to one of our nation’s greatest Presidents, or to the current incumbent.
Because out in the real world, nobody really believes that “switching horses midstream” is a bad idea. Corporations fire underperforming CEOs (as with Craig Conway being fired from PeopleSoft). Companies fire under-performing employees, after giving them a chance to improve. When your Internet provider gives you terrible performance and even worse customer service, you escalate your complaint and then find another ISP. You get the idea.
In a democratic republic, we operate on the same principle. We call it by different names, but it’s important to remember that we interview candidates for a job, and then select the most popular candidate (whom we hope is also the best) for the job. The new employee gets a contract: four years for a President, six years for a Senator, and so on. When their contract expires, we evaluate their performance, and if they’ve performed badly, we pick somebody new.
A healthy company depends on creating a spiral of constant improvement — in ideas, and in people. Keeping an underperforming CEO or business plan isn’t how companies succeed in a competitive market. To succeed, they learn from mistakes, hire talent, and fire underperformers when necessary.
Scale it up into global terms and nothing changes. Healthy democracy and a strong, competitive nation depend on a spiral of constant improvement — in ideas and of people. Not “switching horse mid-stream” is little more than the plea of the employee that knows they haven’t been performing well.
And the incumbent has little to offer except “more of the same,” and a flimsy attempt to scare us by touting the dangers of “switching horses midstream.” Well, I for one, don’t buy it.
Comments
10 Comments so far. Comments are closed.Why Aren’t Drugs Tested on Pregnant Women?
overnment Has Approved a Clinical Drug Trial Using Expectant Moms
‘Sara Holliday’s Prenatal Yoga: Second Trimester’ DVD from Fitness Guru Sara Holliday is the Latest Title in Her Workout Series Specifically Designed for Expecting Moms
15, 2006)
Trackback URI: http://www.prweb.com/zingpr.php/Q291cC1DcmFzLUNyYXMtRmFsdS1IYWxmLVplcm8=
Paxil Suicide Risk in Young Adults
version, Paxil CR, are getting a new warning about suicide risk in young adults.
Hawks’ Childress Earning NBA TV Playoff Experience
mind. But until the Hawks reach the playoffs, the forward will have to settle for summer work like the kind he’ll get
Enron Chiefs Accused Of ‘Hocus-Pocus’
misleading statements, half-truths, omissions and outright lies” to mislead investors.
Operation Accidental Explosion: Al Qaeda Bigwig Abu Hamza Rabia Killed
PhotoVault
Tags:
gada.be – Al Qaeda | Rabia | Pakistan | UAV
Technorati – Al Qaeda | Rabia | Pakistan
FDA Approves Cervical Cancer Vaccine
took a big step in the fight against cervical cancer on Thursday when it approved a new vaccine against the second leading cause
Post-al-Zarqawi Raids Kill 104 Insurgents
says that since al-Zarqawi’s death, 104 insurgents have been killed in Iraq, in 452 raids
Goldman, Macquarie in bid battle for AB Ports
prompting a proposal from a rival team led by Australia’s Macquarie Bank to at least match the offer.
Electronic Storage Helps Small Businesses
Storage Allows Small Businesses to Preserve Documents Indefinitely While Saving Space