I recently left the world of politics for the world of
business. To my surprise, the cultures
have not turned out to be as distinct as I imagined. Except for one glaring exception: me.
In Washington, I considered myself a moderate in a town of
party loyalists. Much to the chagrin of
my friends, I could even be found making libertarian arguments from time to
time. I was progressive, certainly. A registered democrat, yes. But I was really just a novice in a sea of
experts, and still green enough on any given issue to challenge both red and
blue.
At Sloan, my politics have morphed into my persona—like I am
wearing a sign around my neck that says, “Let’s talk about the election!” Except that it’s not just the sign that is
saying it. The words are literally
coming out of my mouth.
I can’t help it. It’s
like a Potomac virus has gotten into my bloodstream, traveled north to my
brain, and rearranged synapses so that I absolutely must speak about the state of America, the fate of our political
system, and the importance of voting for Barack Hussein Obama. [In case you haven’t heard, he is the
President of the United States of America. And he’s running for reelection. Have you voted yet?]
I know what you’re thinking.
Not a great way to make friends.
But here’s the thing: the folks at MIT are nothing if not
thoughtful. [They’re also wicked smaht,
but that goes without saying.] And
here’s what I’ve found: thoughtful people are often independent thinkers. Few are interested in joining a party or
falling in line behind a candidate.
They are aware of the need for government—though to differing
degrees—and they recognize the good that it can do for our society.
They also recognize the shortcomings of our political
system, and the inability of any one person to rectify it. Neither Mitt Romney nor Barack Obama is an
answer on his own. Nor should we expect
any leader to be.
But the nature of a presidential election demands that we
make a choice between two leaders—not just for who they are themselves, but who
they will lead the rest of us to be.
We do have a choice.
I think it is a very clear choice.
(A VERY clear choice.) But I also
have very thoughtful friends who disagree with me. The truth is, our arguments are largely
irrelevant at this point. What does
matter is that we make our opinions official.
That we VOTE, so that our vision, our values, and our preferences are
reflected in the collective whole that will come together on Tuesday.
Agree or disagree, we are all Americans, and
we are all in this together. Make it
count.
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