Flake or possibility? (this "might" get long & turn into a Thump post) ...
I watched Trump as he spoke in Iowa last night and I honestly don't know what to think of him. I think it's like political correctness with me, these days, we say what's polite or what we're expected to say ... but I believe deep down inside, many of us are afraid to say what we really feel. BUT ... I understand that. My whole adult life was spent managing a business, whether it be my own or somebody else's. There's an old saying, "The customer is always right". But are they really? I couldn't tell you how many times in business I had to bite my tongue. On the inside I was thinking, get out of my face you low-life mother-fucker ... but, "Yes sir/ma'am, you're right and I'll take care of it" would come out of my mouth. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't a total push-over, I've told a few what I thought of them and actually thrown a few out of my place of business over the years, BUT ... afterwards, (except in the case of my OWN business) ... I'd make a beeline to the GM or Owner/President's office to explain the circumstances and my actions in case word got back to them (which it usually did). The big term these days is "Political Correctness" ... but I'm not so sure that term existed during most of my business life ... it was just something you did, without tacking a name onto it. General "business sense" maybe?
Well, I've always (since WAY before this Presidential thing) thought Trump was a blowhard ... and I still do in a way. BUT, on the otherhand, I respect his business sense. I have to admit, I've never hated a President in my lifetime as much as I hate Obama ... I wouldn't piss on him if he were on fire, but he promised "Hope & Change". Ha! There was "change" alright! But this really isn't about Obama. The point is, I DO want change ... we NEED change. Actually, EVERY Presidential candidate promises "change" ... it just rarely happens. Do I believe Trump would change things? Hell yes! But, I'm not positive what I think about his "bedside manner". That said, I have TOTAL respect for him as a businessman and he's a mover and a shaker ... he KNOWS how to get things done. For a brief period a few years back, I was a fan of Ross Perot ... but my infatuation with him went into the toilet pretty fast and I bailed. With Trump, I keep thinking, "No f'ing way", but deep down inside, I'm thinking, "way??".
In MY personal life, I started out in car delaerships by sweeping floors and doing anything I could just to earn a few bucks. ANYTIME a position opened up that I thought I could handle, I'd throw my name in the hat. From sweeping floors and taking out the trash, I moved "up" to parking cars (a Lot-Jockey). From there to picking up and delivering customer's cars. I went from there to Mechanic's Helper, then a Mechanic, then Shop Foreman, then a Service Advisor. Basically, by time I was in my late 20's, I'd done everything in the shop, short of management. I will admit, a management position was in my sites ... but I wanted to gain a bit more experience before attempting that leap. All this time, I seemed to have a natural ability to meld very well with GM factory reps, both locally and in Detroit ... and some very good relationships were formed. I was well on my way, but IMHO, was not even close to management material ... "yet". Then came the day the owner called me into his office. I entered to find him, the GM, the Service and Parts Director as well as the head of Cadillac Customer Service Relations from Detroit sitting in the office. I had no clue what was going on. Long story just a bit shorter, I was asked to accept the position of Service Manager. (this was at the only Caddie dealer in Hollywood ... a VERY large dealership) I was as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs!
Bottom line is, I lacked the personal confidence I needed and told them I honestly didn't feel I was ready. I had planned on staying at my present position a bit longer to learn from it and THEN move to the next level. I then said something about not knowing enough to solve all problems with the modern, computerized cars of those days and would not know how to be the head "go-to guy" for the whole department because there were things I knew nothing about. The GM Rep. laughed and said, "Jim ... I wouldn't know how to change a tail-light bulb, but I know WHERE to find out how to do it"! He went on to tell me I knew ALL the head people at the factory level and they all thought highly of me or I (the Rep) wouldn't be a part of this meeting.
This is where the most important words of my career were uttered ... and I've never forgotten them. I was told I don't need to know the answer to every problem that may arise, all I need to know is WHERE to FIND the answer. I was told I'm very good at that already as I have an excellent relationship with the GM factory personnel and they all think highly of me. I also know WHO to call for specific problems instead of bouncing around from department to department. Anyway, I was promoted and that started a long-standing and very close relationship with the GM brass. It continued to other dealerships and I eventually felt more like a consultant as they'd suggest I move to dealers along the way who were in "trouble" with the factory in the early days of CSI (Customer Satisfaction Index). At the last dealer it was "suggested" I move to, the CSI was in the toilet (37) and they were about to lose their franchise. I turned the place around and had the CSI at 98% when I left to start my own business. Isn't that basically what this country needs?
Now to my point. Trump talks about the "good people" he has working for him. He says some are nice, some aren't so nice, BUT ... they know how to get things done. I see he now devotes 100% of his time to the Presidential campaign, so he OBVIOUSLY has some good and trusted people running his "business empire" while he's out of pocket. People seem to think the President has all the answers. No, the President "should" have a staff of people he works closely with who will have the answers, depending on their expertise. In a successful business, you have a staff meeting, bounce ideas off the wall, listen closely to the people who excell in the areas in question, and come up with a decision. I think Trump knows and understands that, otherwise, his businesses wouldn't be as successful as they are. He never fails to mention the "good people" he has working in his organization and always mentions that "WITH THEM" he can turn this country around. I think of the cars back in the early days of computers and emission controls, etc. Without help from my "staff" in Detroit, I could not have fixed half of what "I" fixed. The trick to being a good manager is knowing when to ask for help AND knowing where to seek that help.
I used to picture Trump as a blowhard and imagined him as one who makes all the decisions and you can't tell him anything because he's a "know-it-all". I'm changing my opinion of him now as he never fails to mention the "good/smart people he has working for him". Now, the question I have is, if elected, will he surround himself with business people? Or politicians? Can business people take this country where it needs to go? Heck, "politicians" sure aren't doing a very good job of it! But I do feel there has to be a compromise because when "we" deal with other countries, we will be dealing with "politicians". It's like a Catch-22. But, I'm finding I can't help but listen to him. There are a lot of things I don't like about him, but there are a lot of things I DO like ... and apparently, I'm not alone in this country. On one hand, he scares me and I sense a trainwreck ... on the otherhand, I'm intrigued and "want" to believe in him.
