Persistence

The Republican candidate, John McCain, acted like a gentleman a couple of days ago, and a good politician yesterday.

Yesterday, many observers attacked Barack Obama for his hubris in conducting his acceptance of the Democratic Presidential nomination at Mile High stadium in front of a Greek arch, with eighty thousand adoring, weeping acolytes.

McCain refused to join the crowd attacking Obama for his grand gestures and over the top setting and demonstrated his own fine style and old-fashioned courtesy.

Yesterday McCain picked his running mate for the role of Vice President and surprised everyone by naming the Governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin. This could well turn out to be a great short term tactic on his behalf, as it helps him pick up some of the women who would have voted for Hillary Clinton and who can’t bring themselves to vote for Barack Obama. Longer term we have to discover if Palin can overcome her obvious inexperience and total lack of foreign affairs knowledge.

McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, made his announcement at an Ohio rally that drew and audience of 15,000. This choice ended speculation that McCain would select former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney or Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut.

Palin is inexperienced in international affairs; in fact she has only been Governor of Alaska for two years. The mother of five, including a son about to serve in America’s forces in Iraq, and her youngest has Down’s syndrome.

Palin is the first woman to be a potential Vice President for the Republicans. She promised: “I’m going to take our campaign to every part of our country and our message of reform to every voter of every background in every political party, or no party at all.”

“… Politics isn’t just a game of competing interests and clashing parties,” added the woman who largely built her career by challenging fellow Republicans. “The people of America expect us to seek public office and to serve for the right reasons.”

The Republican pairing will go against the Democratic rivals Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Obama, in his own historic moment, had formally accepted the Democratic nomination before an estimated 80,000 people in Denver the day previously.

In a fast-developing presidential campaign, McCain made his selection six days after his Democratic rival, Barack Obama, named Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware, as his running mate.

There was a remarkable contrast between the two announcements — Obama, 47, picked a 65-year-old running mate with a great deal of experience in government and a man whom he said was qualified to be president.

On his 72nd birthday, McCain chose a 44-year-old female running mate who until just two years ago was the mayor of small-town Wasilla, Alaska — and made no claim she was ready to sit in the Oval Office.

McCain’s campaign issued a statement saying she was, but even so, it wasn’t a point lost on Obama’s campaign.

“Today, John McCain put the former mayor of a town of 9,000 with zero foreign policy experience a heartbeat away from the presidency,” an Obama spokesperson wrote in an official statement.

Unlike Biden, who attacked McCain sharply in his debut last week, Palin was indirect in her initial attempts to elevate McCain over Obama.

“There is only one candidate who has truly fought for America and that man is John McCain,” Palin added as the Arizona senator beamed widely. McCain was a prisoner of war for more than five years in Vietnam.

McCain trails Obama in the polls among women voters, and Palin moved quickly to remedy that.

Palin quickly proved she’s not just a pretty face when she astutely mentioned that she followed in the footsteps of Geraldine Ferraro, who was the Democratic vice presidential running mate in 1984, and favorably alluded to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who had so recently polled 18 million votes in her narrowly unsuccessful run against Obama for the Democratic nomination.

“But it turns out the women of America aren’t finished yet and we can shatter that glass ceiling once and for all,” she said.

The selection of Obama and Palin means that either the fight of women or African Americans to achieve high office will be achieved on November 4th. Whichever it turns out to be we will all win as the world will soon come to realize that neither race or gender has any bearing on ability. It has been a long fight only won by the undying persistence of millions of ordinary people who would not accept being labeled second class.

The words of Calvin Coolidge should challenge us all to follow our dreams.
“Press on, nothing can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; the world is full of unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education alone will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent."

To help you stay persistent and embrace success-minded thinking, commit yourself to building and maintaining friendships and contacts that enrich and enhance your life and your dreams. I like to call these people "true fans and supporters." They are the ones who believe in you and want you to achieve your desires. They cheer you on, celebrate your accomplishments, and lift you up when you are feeling down.

The saying "misery loves company" is all too true, so limit time and set clear boundaries with those who are constantly negative, unsupportive, or drain your precious energy. They are on a different path than you. Perhaps your positive ways and abundant life will influence them to make a change in their own life, perhaps not. Remember, you can't make anyone change who is not ready.

Keep the focus on yourself. Surround yourself with positive like-minded people.
Press on, Great success will come if you are persistent.

Calvin Coolidge”