There were many who, back in 2008, rallied together with fervor and passion for what was intended to be a shakeup to the system by electing Barack Obama president of the United States. As with the ebb and flow of ideologies and shifts in power between both sides of the aisle, today we’re a witness to history in real time, as we clearly see the pendulum has swung the other way, but with an equally rivaled momentum, by electing Donald Trump.
Perhaps it’s his brash, no-nonsense attitude, perhaps it’s his business prowess and reality star showmanship, or perhaps it’s a bravado and cavalier attitude that comes with his lack of political experience that many think will bring a new age of accountability to the office and the system, scaring many within the establishment with two words rarely, if ever heard in public and civil service, “You’re fired!”
True, Trump has zero political experience, and true, he ran a campaign wrought with sensationalism and braggadocio. That he doesn’t play by the rules of the system, however, is perhaps his greatest asset. The CEO mind-set often has a keen focus on keeping the machine running, trimming the fat to streamline the process, and stopping the promotion of individuals beyond their ability to produce. Those with long careers in politics will often protect each other – even outside their respective parties – to keep the status quo.
With winning office simply to be of service lost to leapfrogging to the next level of the political game (read: How much time within a term is spent serving their constituents versus positioning for re-election?), many private citizens work tirelessly just to keep from getting fired or outsourced.
No doubt President-elect Trump has the current political guard shaking in their boots, as it seems the script may soon be flipped between those citizens who are motivated by a clear and present fear of loss versus the political arena motivated by want for gain.
Job performance
Comparing a job that has positions within both private and public sectors, you’ll find UPS drivers have more scrutiny over their job performance, more metrics for success, and bonuses for exemplary performance. Meanwhile, US Postal Service workers, a job protected by one of the constitutionally enumerated powers enacted by Congress, would require nearly that same act of Congress to be fired. Or a more practical example, how long would sports figures last on a professional team if they simply went through the motions? Or a more painfully relatable example: How long would airport security lines be if Transportation Security Administration agents were fired for failing to meet passenger processing quotas?
The average Joe slogs through 40 hours of fearing downsizings and layoffs each week, while politicians regularly abuse their power to protect their own interests (or those of their campaign donors). Eleven years of proclaiming, “You’re fired!” every week clearly propelled enough Americans to get on board, begging for President-elect Trump’s fresh, demonstrative level of intolerance for incompetence and mediocrity.
Trump’s campaign proclamation to “Make America Great Again” might have been a tad grandiose, because in reality, America is already great, though significantly tarnished. The United States has the highest standard of living in the industrialized world and freedoms of speech and thought without punishments and reprisals that some countries will simply never have.
Yet, we shouldn’t lose sight of a keen reality in that our country isn’t without its serious and mounting problems. Maybe what supporters internalized was not about making America great again, but rather making Americans great again. Something Obama supporters could take as an inverse, if not to them a bizarro world version of “Hope and Change.”
Michael Levine is a prominent media expert and author who has represented 58 Academy Award winners, 34 Grammy Award winners and is the author of 19 books.
