Strategic Vision: Effective CEOs ensure their companies have a simple and realistic vision: a mission statement that says who they are and where they are going. In retrospect, George W. Bush’s vision for the US was “we’re the toughest guys in the world, get out of our way.” In the short term this made Americans feel good about themselves, but in the long term it proved dysfunctional because it weakened the economy – and the military – and destabilized our democratic process. McCain’s vision for America appears to be an extension of Bush’s, “things aren’t so bad; have faith in the Pentagon.” Thus, voters who are seeking a change in vision must choose between Clinton and Obama.
Clinton’s vision is “we’ll reverse the mistakes of the Bush era and enter a second Clinton epoch of progress and prosperity.” Her campaign features a plethora of policy positions, but lacks an overarching theme beyond “I’ll fight for you.”
In contrast, Obama offers a more strategic vision. His foreign policy differs dramatically from that of Clinton and McCain as it emphasizes aggressive diplomacy and multinational cooperation. But the biggest difference is his approach to the Washington “process.” Obama wants to build a new coalition – one that includes Democrats, Independents, and enlightened Republicans – to tackle difficult problems. He argues that without a new way of doing business in Washington it will not be possible to build the consensus necessary to tackle dilemmas such as health care and global climate change.
Which of the candidates would prove to be most effective as America’s CEO? From here it looks like Obama.
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