Comments on: The Leader http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/11/05/the-leader/ Same old blog, brand new place Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:02:37 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: jMac http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/11/05/the-leader/comment-page-1/#comment-101443 jMac Thu, 06 Nov 2008 11:46:04 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/?p=1092#comment-101443 A great and moving post Doc... Linked here to you: http://www.jonathanmacdonald.com/?p=1884 I spent the results night in a small town called Jena in Germany with hundreds of smiling, laughing, ecstatic Germans watching CNN. I would have wished to be in Chicago but standing in a place where change has happened in such an extreme way, all made sense somehow... A great and moving post Doc…

Linked here to you: http://www.jonathanmacdonald.com/?p=1884

I spent the results night in a small town called Jena in Germany with hundreds of smiling, laughing, ecstatic Germans watching CNN.

I would have wished to be in Chicago but standing in a place where change has happened in such an extreme way, all made sense somehow…

]]> By: e pluribus unum | Jonathan MacDonald.com http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/11/05/the-leader/comment-page-1/#comment-101441 e pluribus unum | Jonathan MacDonald.com Thu, 06 Nov 2008 11:30:01 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/?p=1092#comment-101441 [...] Doc writes over on his blog here - the feeling is one of being united. United in hope, united in vision, united as a people in a [...] [...] Doc writes over on his blog here – the feeling is one of being united. United in hope, united in vision, united as a people in a [...]

]]> By: Colette Searls http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/11/05/the-leader/comment-page-1/#comment-101267 Colette Searls Wed, 05 Nov 2008 19:36:59 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/?p=1092#comment-101267 This is a critical moment for us to re-think the way we treat our leaders. That is really the "change we need." What matters most about Obama is that he inspires us to HELP him -- and those of us who have helped him can't stop now that he's elected. Now we need to turn our efforts from helping Obama get elected to helping him lead. Our nation has made a sport out of blaming Dubya for eight years -- and though it was richly deserved, we have grown an attitude of expectation that our leaders are people we hired to fix our problems rather than lead US to better solutions. We've disempowered ourselves in this expectation that it's ultimately the leaders' fault -- that we simply hired the wrong guy -- when things go wrong. It's time to look within at how we as individuals and communities can follow Obama's call and look inward for the sources of problems and new solutions. This is a critical moment for us to re-think the way we treat our leaders. That is really the “change we need.” What matters most about Obama is that he inspires us to HELP him — and those of us who have helped him can’t stop now that he’s elected. Now we need to turn our efforts from helping Obama get elected to helping him lead. Our nation has made a sport out of blaming Dubya for eight years — and though it was richly deserved, we have grown an attitude of expectation that our leaders are people we hired to fix our problems rather than lead US to better solutions. We’ve disempowered ourselves in this expectation that it’s ultimately the leaders’ fault — that we simply hired the wrong guy — when things go wrong. It’s time to look within at how we as individuals and communities can follow Obama’s call and look inward for the sources of problems and new solutions.

]]> By: Lou Josephs http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/11/05/the-leader/comment-page-1/#comment-101265 Lou Josephs Wed, 05 Nov 2008 19:08:47 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/?p=1092#comment-101265 Watched BBC World, gawd did they not get it. Slower than anyone on one on making the calls. CBC did a really good job of telling the story of the election but didn't really get into the why of it. The behind the scenes stuff we didn't know always amazes me. Newsweek has posted three parts of seven.http://www.newsweek.com/id/167581 Al Franken goes to a recount, and your friends and neighbors in California voted against gay marriage. Oops. Watched BBC World, gawd did they not get it. Slower than anyone on one on making the calls. CBC did a really good job of telling the story of the election but didn’t really get into the why of it.
The behind the scenes stuff we didn’t know always amazes me.
Newsweek has posted three parts of seven.http://www.newsweek.com/id/167581
Al Franken goes to a recount, and your friends and neighbors in California voted against gay marriage. Oops.

]]> By: Lisa Gates http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/11/05/the-leader/comment-page-1/#comment-101260 Lisa Gates Wed, 05 Nov 2008 18:34:34 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/?p=1092#comment-101260 Doc, Yes to tears. I think about vision. The kind of vision that comes dressed up with inspiration and feet on the ground. Amen. I never write poetry. Don't even know if you could call it poetry technically...but I wrote this "wish" about 9 months ago... When You Put Your Lips Together in the Shap of an O I want to live for the sound of thunder in the heart the kind of sound that moves into the belly and agitates the feet and sends a stomping wave of passion a leather, rubber, canvas carnival of clapping joyous feet that run from sea to sea on the memory of water and makes us remember what it felt like to be heard to be loved, to be held, to be known a force, a rhythm, a blink, a wink a word the kind of word that takes forever to say because possibility is just that long I know he gets out of bed and wonders and sometimes (no often, he’s just like us, I remember) thunders at god and washes his face and can’t find the sock that matches and damn his watch just stopped because it’s time for an idea that arrests the heart it’s time for polar bear white and French fry mobiles with Flinstone ingenuity and it’s time to remember it was a creed written into the founding documents and before that when the vast infinite’s heart lit on fire it was whispered, yes and then it was whispered by slaves, yes we and then it was whispered by all, yes we we can heal this nation and repair this world Put your lips together and kiss Put your lips together and sing :-) Doc,
Yes to tears.
I think about vision. The kind of vision that comes dressed up with inspiration and feet on the ground. Amen.

I never write poetry. Don’t even know if you could call it poetry technically…but I wrote this “wish” about 9 months ago…

When You Put Your Lips Together in the Shap of an O

I want to live for the sound of thunder
in the heart
the kind of sound that moves
into the belly and agitates the feet
and sends a stomping wave of passion
a leather, rubber, canvas carnival of clapping joyous feet
that run from sea to sea on the memory of water
and makes us remember what it felt like to be heard
to be loved, to be held, to be known
a force, a rhythm, a blink, a wink
a word
the kind of word that takes forever to say
because possibility is just that long

I know he gets out of bed
and wonders
and sometimes
(no often, he’s just like us, I remember)
thunders at god
and washes his face
and can’t find the sock that matches
and damn his watch just stopped
because it’s time for an idea that arrests the heart
it’s time for polar bear white
and French fry mobiles with Flinstone ingenuity
and it’s time to remember it was a creed
written into the founding documents
and before that when the vast infinite’s heart lit on fire
it was whispered, yes
and then it was whispered by slaves, yes we
and then it was whispered by all, yes we
we can heal this nation and repair this world

Put your lips together and kiss
Put your lips together and sing

:-)

]]> By: Obama: The morning after and some last thoughts http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/11/05/the-leader/comment-page-1/#comment-101258 Obama: The morning after and some last thoughts Wed, 05 Nov 2008 17:48:01 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/?p=1092#comment-101258 [...] Daryl Tay (Canada) I felt his victory speech was amazing. Obama shows great leadership when he talked about similarities instead of differences. Hope instead of fear. He is not trying to [...] [...] Daryl Tay (Canada) I felt his victory speech was amazing. Obama shows great leadership when he talked about similarities instead of differences. Hope instead of fear. He is not trying to [...]

]]> By: Pauly http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/11/05/the-leader/comment-page-1/#comment-101255 Pauly Wed, 05 Nov 2008 17:45:30 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/?p=1092#comment-101255 "Relieved" is the best word I can find right now. Now we have to hold the Democrats to the fire against overreach. Which strikes me as easier than the last 8 years have been, notwithstanding some of the more classically and repressively "liberal" impulses in the new Congressional makeup. This truly is a centrist country (and let's forget about the "center-left" and "center-right" posturing when the left/right dichotomy is so demonstrably obsolete) and this election rekindled my optimism on that point and on the fact that "yes we can" also keep some of the congressional excess at bay while getting to work at rebuilding infrastructure, credibility in foreign policy and not least opening the economic "force multiplier" that is a true internet commons. “Relieved” is the best word I can find right now. Now we have to hold the Democrats to the fire against overreach. Which strikes me as easier than the last 8 years have been, notwithstanding some of the more classically and repressively “liberal” impulses in the new Congressional makeup. This truly is a centrist country (and let’s forget about the “center-left” and “center-right” posturing when the left/right dichotomy is so demonstrably obsolete) and this election rekindled my optimism on that point and on the fact that “yes we can” also keep some of the congressional excess at bay while getting to work at rebuilding infrastructure, credibility in foreign policy and not least opening the economic “force multiplier” that is a true internet commons.

]]> By: C3 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/11/05/the-leader/comment-page-1/#comment-101214 C3 Wed, 05 Nov 2008 08:36:48 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/?p=1092#comment-101214 Living in the UK- I gave up watching the news sometime around midnight and fell asleep watching the returns from the East Coast; apparently I made it till Pennsylvania was announced and a had a conversation with my husband but I don't seem to remember sleep-talking . It was so great to see the turnout for the election. Those voters really made me proud. Yesterday was incredible People felt like they could make a difference for the first time in a long time. Independent of location, of age, of social status, of financial position, of gender and even of political affiliation. Let's hope that difference is a gracious, calm, focused and positive on an on-going basis; focused on the huge challenges we have today and the ones which will crop up. I know the new leader-elect embodies those qualities. In talking with my native Chicago boss, I said I don't know that we need another JFK but that a new FDR would be great. Today I feel so homesick but for the right reasons. You all have seen a fantastic thing happen today. Now the work begins! From Obama's acceptance speech: I know that our journeys are separate but our destinies are shared. Let's celebrate today- the work starts tomorrow and it will be a fine day to start this work. Living in the UK- I gave up watching the news sometime around midnight and fell asleep watching the returns from the East Coast; apparently I made it till Pennsylvania was announced and a had a conversation with my husband but I don’t seem to remember sleep-talking .
It was so great to see the turnout for the election. Those voters really made me proud. Yesterday was incredible People felt like they could make a difference for the first time in a long time. Independent of location, of age, of social status, of financial position, of gender and even of political affiliation.

Let’s hope that difference is a gracious, calm, focused and positive on an on-going basis; focused on the huge challenges we have today and the ones which will crop up. I know the new leader-elect embodies those qualities. In talking with my native Chicago boss, I said I don’t know that we need another JFK but that a new FDR would be great.

Today I feel so homesick but for the right reasons. You all have seen a fantastic thing happen today. Now the work begins!

From Obama’s acceptance speech:
I know that our journeys are separate but our destinies are shared.

Let’s celebrate today- the work starts tomorrow and it will be a fine day to start this work.

]]> By: vanderleun http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/11/05/the-leader/comment-page-1/#comment-101207 vanderleun Wed, 05 Nov 2008 07:49:53 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/?p=1092#comment-101207 e pluribus unum And so say we all. e pluribus unum

And so say we all.

]]> By: Russell Nelson http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/11/05/the-leader/comment-page-1/#comment-101206 Russell Nelson Wed, 05 Nov 2008 07:37:02 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/?p=1092#comment-101206 I'm glad you have hope, Doc, but I see the cities arrayed against the rural areas. I’m glad you have hope, Doc, but I see the cities arrayed against the rural areas.

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