If you haven't noticed, The Republican Presidential Primary Debates have become a resource that reflects America's angst, socioeconomic divide and just how out of touch politicians are from the real issues. Voters are so frustrated with our political system and current foreign policies that, surprise...billionaire Donald Trump has become a very real contender.
And we can look no farther than Capital Hill
for the reasons why.
for the reasons why.
I watched part of the debates. (Watch them here)...No surprises from Chris Christie, Donald Trump or Rand Paul. I like Rand's message, but he lacks the serious charisma and great hair that makes an American pull the lever. It's marketing 101 my friends. If people listened to logic, Ron Paul would have won the last 2 elections in a landslide. It's about Image, and boldness.
Here are the candidates I felt stood out, in the order of impact:
But the BIG surprise from the GOP was Marco "Mark" Rubio. He was solid, and his answers sounded...well frankly, presidential. Rubio could be the Republican candidate for the conservative Millennial. And by the way: the back and forth "tit for tat" between Donald Trump and Carly Fiorina was just annoying, as Governor Chris Christie pointed out.
Other countries have stated that Donald Trump represents everything that is wrong with America. Perhaps. You gotta live here to get it I guess. But Trump also represents a growing number of people from ALL walks of American life that are so fed up with how things are being run in this country, they are willing to bet on a political outsider to save the American Dream.
Except for Marco Rubio, Dr. Ben Carson and Carly Fiorina, this is a cavalcade of old white guys. Boomers to be exact.
Where is the Diversity that IS America? And honestly, WHERE are The Millennials on these candidates?
I get it. When Barack Obama ran for president as an unknown senator from Illinois, all we heard is "he is the voice of a new generation." Social media lit up to hail in a new vision of Hope and Change. Millennials, Generation Y, etc...were being romanced through all media channels. Today? Haven't heard a peep from Millennial Voters. Even if Millennials are 65% Liberal, where are the remaining Young Republicans?
We NEED your voice in politics my friends. BOTH SIDES. We need you badly. Most of you will show up in time for the Democratic Presidential Debates, and the media WILL start focusing on Bernie Sanders. After all, he tells voters what you want to hear, and since the media is owned by 9 people, well you will be getting the picture they want you to get.
But you may not know this, but Millennials are leaving the 2 party system behind to embrace something new. They are the fastest growing members of the Libertarian party...yes, you read that correctly.
And part of the reason is this...
NONE of the things that Millennials want
from government is being addressed from Republicans or Democrats.
And since there are very few political candidates or members of Congress that fall into the Generation Y category, your generation is sadly, UNDERREPRESENTED. Government will only get bigger, and the middle class will continue to get destroyed and there will continue to be more wars, and immigration will still be a problem...
And the reason for this is this: governments never really try to solve problems. They perpetuate them in order to drive money into markets, in an attempt "fix" the problems...the problems THEY CREATED.
So, my Millennials, WHERE ARE YOU? I am hoping that Millennials will bring a fresh voice and smarter economic choices. After all, you guys hate inefficiency. Of course, we will probably get 4 years of Bernie before you realize you can't solve poverty and other problems by raising taxes on The Middle Class. Once the Middle Class is gone, there will be no prosperity for anyone.
You may ask yourself WHY is anyone taking Donald Trump seriously? Because folks, he represents a very large block of Boomer voters who are angry, frustrated and broke. And when enough people are angry and frustrated enough to do something about it, a wildcard always gets noticed.
I may never vote for Trump, BUT, I like him. He keeps career politicians focused on the issues. And he scares the establishment. I like that. He's a cage rattler...
As NY State's current governor Andrew Cuomo said when elected "We have to reinvent government." Only Millennials can do that. After all, Boomers represent the past. Gen X and Millennials represent the future...
And you should be mad as hell that the establishment is ignoring you this time.
Here, check out a true Millennial, and Forbes staff writer Dan Schawbel's interview with Donald Trump:
Thank you for your support,
Brad Szollose
Global Business Adviser and Consultant
on 21st Century Workforce Strategist
www.liquidleadership.com
Author of the award-winning, bestseller Liquid Leadership: From Woodstock to Wikipedia, Brad is a former C-level executive of a publicly traded company that he cofounded that went from entrepreneurial start-up to IPO in three years; the first Dot Com Agency to go public on NASDAQ. His company K2 Design, experienced 425% hyper-growth, due in part to a unique management style that won his company the Arthur Andersen NY Enterprise Award for Best Practices in Fostering Innovation.
Known for his humorous and thought-provoking presentations, Brad’s keynotes and workshops are highly interactive, heart-warming, and filled with high-content information that challenge assumptions and help leaders and managers create a better work environment for innovation to thrive.
Today, Brad helps smart companies like Dell and MasterCard, understand just how much technology has transformed a new generation, and how that impacts corporate culture, management interaction, expectations, productivity and sales in The Information Age.
* 2011 Axiom Business Book silver medal winner in the leadership
* #1 Amazon Best-Selling Author
"I just had my mind blown..." - A.S., Vistage, New York
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