PeterGlenshaw.com

Quick Update

Yikes.

It's been a while since I lasted posted to this site.

My apologies. 

Three explanations....

1) Work has been busy.  To get a sense of things, wander over to my work blog, and you will see more frequent postings and a sense of the activity since late Spring.

2) Family life in May and June is simply, positively nuts.  Here's why.  You enter baseball season, and games occur 2-3x per week, and as enjoyable as it is to stand in the grass as the sun sets, it also occurs with the realization that you've been standing there for three hours.  Dinner takes place at 8pm, the food is junk high transfat stuff, and there is still homework to get finished.  Time for blogging?  Hah!

Oh, and then you enter the end-of-the-year activities.  Science Fairs.  Choral presentations.  Plays.  Award ceremonies.  Graduation.  It's wonderful but also significant in terms of time commitment.  Blogging?  Hah!

Oh, and then the volunteer activities increase.  More details later, but a week did not go by in May or June when I wasn't at an evening meeting or morning meeting (or both) related to volunteer activities.  All good stuff.  But blogging?  Hah!

3) I can't say more now, but will announce more later.  Bottom line: I'm going to be doing something slightly different in terms of my profession.  It's good news and I'm really excited about it.  But that quest has also taken time.

Despite the absence, there's a lot of good news to report. 

*The Red Sox are in first place in the American League East.  In fact, as I write, they have the best record in baseball and have been a joy to watch this season.

*The kids are thriving, and there are plenty of pictures and anecdotes to share from the Spring and early Summer.

*I've participated in two triathlons this season, and have lots of news to share in that category.

*Elizabeth is doing awesome both personally and professionally, and it will be fun to share her good news.

*It's summer in the Upper Valley....an incredible season that defies simple description.  Look for pictures and video that capture the moment that passes by all too quickly.

Thanks for your patience.  I love to write and it's been great to get feedback from readers about this blog.  Look for more entries in the coming weeks and months!

The June Debate

Last night, I had the good fortune to attend the CNN Democratic Presidential debate  live-and-in person at St. Anselm’s College, just outside of Manchester, NH.

There’s a LOT to report about spectacle of the event itself, particularly what you see from the audience that isn’t evident on the television screen.

Look for all of that in a future post.  In the mean time, let’s cut to the heart of the matter:  Who won, and who lost?

The clear loser last night was CNN Moderator Wolf Blitzer.  Everyone I spoke to after the debate agreed that many of his questions were inane, and symptomatic of a Washington media culture that reduces complex policy issues to pathetic gestures like, “raise your hand if you are for…”

The most telling moment occurred when Blitzer asked the candidates if they could respond to the following Hollywood scene:  imagine if you could take out Osama Bin Laden with a missile, but had only 20 minutes to decide and there would be civilian casualities.  Raise your hand if you would take him out? 

As one person next to me put it, “he forgot to add, ‘and your mother will be one of the causalities.’” 

Like an over-wrought film producer with a taste for fast car and big explosions, Blitzer stormed into New Hampshire thinking that’s how we conduct politics in the Granite State.  He needs to attend a few town meetings next mud season, and spend the next month on the road with candidates in front of real voters, and then maybe he will learn that New Hampshire citizens are serious and thoughtful, and who ask questions which correspond to their demeanor.  Blitzer would do well to consider adopting this approach when he moderates future debates that occur outside the spin zone of the Beltway. 

During the audience Q&A with the candidates, it was revealing to watch Blitzer literally insert his body between the audience and the candidates as he asked followup-question after followup-question to the candidates after they had gotten an initial question from the audience.  It was as if to say, “enough of the little people’s questions, let’s hear from me again.”

And among the Presidential candidates, who stood out? 

I’d say (in no particular order) Obama, Clinton, and Biden got As for their performance.  Each one made several strong points throughout the evening, and for Biden to be included among the top performers is good news for his campaign.  Obama and Clinton were solid, though I think Hillary is working very hard to present herself as one with her colleagues on a variety of issues, especially Iraq, where she has been the last one to the table.  Obama looked very good describing and defending his health plan.

Richardson doesn’t work for me, but the fact is, last night he impressed many people in the crowd.  Many Democrats continue to wonder if being Governor is perhaps the most important qualification to being President, and Richardson's performance reinforced that point of view.

I think Edwards struggled last night.  He was divisive early in the debate, could not or would not identify what income level indicated if someone was rich, and repeatedly tried to distance himself from his rivals, often by trying to make minor differences in policy seem to be major differences.  It wasn't a Presidential night for Edwards.  Coming on the heels of a truly bizarre performance this weekend by his Campaign Manager, David Bonior, at the New Hampshire Democratic State Convention -- when Bonior refused to use the podium microphone, and instead spoke to the 800+ people with a bullhorn, all because it was a non-union microphone -- last night did nothing to advance Senator Edwards among common-sense Granite Staters.

Senator Dodd also struggled.  He got better as the night went along, but his first few remarks contained the flourishing language and ground-setting statements common to speaking on the Senate floor, but terribly for the 30-second world of CNN.  I think Senator Dodd is an incredibly impressive guy, and it was hard to see him struggle. 

Kucnich?  I think he’s got one or two ideas, but to me, he’s a maverick in love with himself, and used by Blitzer as a pseudo-comic relief to the seriousness of Obama, Clinton, and others.  Gravel was even more distanced in this way.  He’s a bright man, but he comes across like “Uncle Gary” at the reunion: the sometimes-grumpy old man you love whose wisdom and relevance are fading with time.

It does not help either Kucinch of Gravel that their positions on the stage are literally on the outskirts.  They get few questions, and when they do, they come framed in a way that disrespects their campaigns.  If CNN includes them, they should be accorded the same time and demeanor as the other candidates.  And if CNN can’t do that, they should ignore them.  For big-time television, this is the equivalent of a "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" policy with the regard to outside Presidential candidates, and it’s wrong. The "Invite, But Don't Ask" policy has got to go.

Overall, the Dems showed very well last night.  This is an incredibly solid team of candidates, and several people said they wished all of them could serve in the next administration.  The question is, who should be the next President?  For my money, the bet seems to be coming down to Obama v. Clinton.  Stay tuned.   

Believe the Hype: Obama in New Hampshire

I first met Senator Barack Obama in New Hampshire in December 2006 when he came to Manchester, NH, on behalf of the suddenly and incredibly victorious New Hampshire Democratic Party.

Just one month before that gathering, the New Hampshire Dems had not only returned Governor Lynch to the corner office, but they had elected (for the first time in over 100 years) Democrats to both Congressional seats, a majority of Democrats in the NH Senate and House, and a majority of NH Dems to the Executive Council.

That evening more than 1,000 Democrats gathered, and it seemed like Christmas and a New Year's Day combined.  New Hampshire Dems could not simply believe their good fortune.  There was a giddiness that bordered on the ridiculous that evening.  Even the most tongue-tied Democratic politician from DC would have been greeted with great applause that night.

But when Senator Obama took the stage that evening, more than mere applause came from the audience.  There was a wooooosh.  A huge wooooosh.   A sudden and collective expression of joy and happiness and possibility.  And Senator Obama, to his credit, managed the expectations that came with the woooosh with great skill.  I remember being in the parking lot afterwards, and people still commenting favorably about his speech.

Fast forward to the end of May 2007.  Senator Obama  declared his candidacy for the Presidency of the United States several months ago.  He has been actively campaigning in New Hampshire, Iowa, and a host of other states (Georgia, California, Michigan, to name a few).  He has out-raised Senator Clinton (the other front-runner) as of March 31st for funds to be spent in the primary and matched her position in virtually every poll released to-date.

Note to self:  polls mean nothing now.

Six months had passed since his first visit to the Granite State.  How would he fare?  Now that he is a declared Presidential candidate, would the woooosh return?

Last weekend was an absolutely beautiful day for the Obama visit.  Bright sun, blue skies, and temps in the low 80s.  Along with a few other people, I went to a house party before a planned rally at Dartmouth.  After milling around, an RV pulled into the driveway and within a few minutes, the Obamas -- the entire family came to New Hampshire for the Memorial Day weekend -- began to spill onto the driveway. 

After being escorted by their hosts to the backyard where we were gathered, the Obamas let their kids (Malia and Sasha) go and jump on a trampoline while they said hello to people.  Both Senator Obama and his wife, Michelle, were incredibly relaxed.  Instead of appearing fatigued or forced in their manner, they seemed calm and at peace, as if this wasn't a race for the most powerful office in America, but a chance to see some friends on an early summer afternoon.

In a short while, Michelle introduced her husband.  Her remarks signaled to me how far we've come in our nation.  Far from being the silent spouse, she spoke with eloquence and passion about her support for her husband's race.  Most interestingly, she claimed to be a cynic about politics, and outlined a position similar to my wife, Elizabeth, who thinks nothing of politics or its ability to improve people's lives.  So you had this interesting juxaposition: the wife of a Presidential candidate -- who herself is super smart, friendly like neighbor, a person with her own impressive professional and family accomplishments -- eloquently saying politics doesn't work. 

Senator Obama hit this issue squarely in his remarks, too.  "Half of us don't vote," he said, and of those who do vote, "many of us vote against someone, not for someone."  This is part of the smallness and pettiness of politics against which he is campaigning, and it was an incredible effective message coming not just from Senator Obama, who is a professional politican (albeit relatively new to the game) , but also from Michelle Obama, who is clear not entrenched in the political game or enamored by it. 

Such an interesting contrast to the Clintons.

Following his wife's introduction, Senator Obama made a few remarks that were very good.  Maybe even outstanding (see example below).  But the real interesting piece is how Senator Obama handles himself.  In New Hampshire, we get this incredible opportunity to see candidates up close.  To see them outside the trappings of a stage or well-lit studio that captures sound bites, but no sense of the person.  And with Obama, I got the sense of someone who knows himself -- his intellect, character, and judgment, and faults -- very well. 

Put another away, Obama is incredibly comfortable in his own skin.  This was the phrase used by Jack Welch to describe one of the reasons why he picked Jeff Immelt to be the next CEO of General Electric.  And it was the strongest impression I got from Senator Obama.  This was a guy who could handle just about anything, not because he was a superhero, but because he knew and trusted himself.  A kind of quiet confidence that could help lead a family, or a nation.

After his remarks, Senator Obama took a few questions, and it was the last one which just knocked the lights out of nearly everyone there in the backyard.  The questioner said he wanted to push Obama a bit, and asked him why he supported corn-based ethanol and liquification of coal in his energy policy.  Obama's response was the kind you'd wish every candidate could give to a tough question.

Without dodging the issues, or getting overly geeky, Obama explained his position.  In complete sentences, and an absolute handle on the scientific and business issues involved with this forms of energy, Obama explained 1) he was a committed environmentalist who secured endorsements from the Sierra Club and another environmental organization during his primary run for Senate, which is almost unheard of, 2) he understands that neither method complete addresses or solves our energy/environmental problem (and then explained what they were), and 3) we need to try a variety of approaches in order to find the right one.

Coal, he added, is the cheapest and most abundent form of energy in the world.  And while it is incredibly dirty form of energy, we have to deal with it because China is opening a new coal mine every week.  Obama then endorsed cap-and-trade approaches for incenting the private sector to adopt cleaner technologies, and suggested that a one-size-fits-all-problems approach is not going to work.

People were blown away by the depth and thoughtfulness of his response.  Afterwards, a few folks came up to me and said how impressed they were by his remarks and the answer to that specific question.  OK, so there wasn't the wooosh at this event to Obama.  At least in the beginning.  After he spoke, though, and as he left, you could hear the wind rustling, the lips chattering, and the heads shaking.  This time, it was a different kind of wooosh.  The kind when you realize you just witnessed the performance of a true star.

About an hour later, Obama did it again.  This time, it was in front of 5,000+ people at Dartmouth.  You can get some sense of the energy and passion here, but man, take my word, he rocked the house at Dartmouth.  I saw freshmen (and I mean "men") who shook his and went off squealing, " I won't wash my hand."  Sure, half of that statement was ironic.  And the other half?

I will be making a decision about who to support as the Democratic nominee sometime this month.  In my mind, it's down to Dodd and Obama.  With Dodd, you have the wily veteran, the guy who knows all of the plays, the players, and the game itself.  The person who has tasted a lot of life, and can turn our government into a force for good.  In Obama, there is both raw talent and a wisdom that belies his age.  It's Tim Duncan vs. LeBron James.  It's good to have such choices.

This weekend is an important one.  All of the candidates will appear or have representatives at the New Hampshire Dems convention tomorrow, and then on Sunday, there is the nationally-televised debate from St. Anselem's College.  I will be at both events and look forward to sharing what I see afterwards.