I don’t think it’s any secret that Obama is leading the charge. And…if he wins, my hat is off to him for running a great race and for making history and helping to usher in a new generation.

Now…on to John McCain. Senator McCain, if you are truly a maverick as you claim, then be a maverick and fire every person on your campaign who is in the circular firing squad. Then, get with your running mate, and set out by bus and on foot to get to the heart of America. This nonsense with the Republican campaign is hurtful to the party and especially to Governor Palin.

Two months ago, no one knew who Sarah Palin was. Now, approximately 95% of Americans know who she is and what she stands for. She has replaced Obama as the new rock star. My husband Mike and I drove back from Johnson City, TN yesterday from a golf tournament, and we got stuck in a horrible traffic jam in Asheville, NC, filled with thousands of people waiting in line, driving at a snail’s pace to hear Palin speak. With her rock star status have come the “gotchas” and the finger pointing and the nastiness that only comes out when someone is great. As a woman, I have to stand up for Governor Palin on a few issues. This is not a partisan post…this is a leadership post about what is missing from this campaign.

1) Contrary to what the media is saying (that Palin has now become a drag on McCain,) she brought new excitement and energy to McCain’s campaign during a time when his campaign was losing ground, and she created quite a stir, and now the Republican campaign is turning on her…no wonder she is going rogue. I would too if in that situation. What’s missing here? Strong leadership and an intolerance to submissive behavior.

2) About the wardrobe issue. When you are running for one of the highest offices in this nation, you have to look presidential. I recall a time when Senator Clinton was having a bad hair and make-up day, and suddenly she had a full makeover, both hair and make-up and wardrobe. The RNC paid for Palin’s wardrobe, and I don’t fault her for that. What’s missing here? Personal Responsibility on behalf of the RNC…they need to come out and back her big time on this issue. Instead, they are just letting her swim in shark filled waters.

3) I am embarrassed that our “fair and balanced” media has had a field day with her. They are going for ratings, and the Couric and Gibson interviews were chopped up, cut and pasted so that it brought out her shortcomings. Shame on you. I would really love to know the positive side that was left out…I guess the good stuff doesn’t get ratings. What’ s missing here? Fairness and honest reporting and what I think are weak responses back from the RNC.

4) If the Republicans are going to treat a candidate who did help them regain some ground like this, then it is no wonder the party is in such bad shape. What’s missing here is good old fashioned loyalty.

So…once again…McCain…if you are truly a maverick as you say then take a stand…fire the people on your campaign who are creating this situation, and end this campaign with pride for both you and Governor Palin. If you can’t do that, then you are not a maverick in the least.

Back in 2006, BzzAgent CEO, Dave Balter, was called a dick by Andy Sernovitz, the CEO of WOMMA. And…what did Balter do? He went and blogged about it.

A recent conversation in Harvard Business Review with Balter explains that he wants the public to see BzzAgent naked…he is a big believer in radical tansparency and in using his transparency to experiment with life and the public.

Now, some people might argue that this is a risky proposition and that this approach is only used to get PR. I on the other hand think it’s critical in this day and age to be completely transparent (I am even big on opening up your financial books just like our Presidential candidates have been asked to do this past year.) Here’s the thing…you may think that people don’t see you naked, but most of us are walking around like the emperor who had no clothes. Everyone knows about our warts and problems, and we are the only one not acknowledging it.  People talk and whisper about it behind our backs, so why not go ahead and be bold and state the obvious. Today’s consumer is savvy, and if you are trying to hide your truth…trust me…it will come out eventually.

So, for a bit of transparency today, I want to let you know about something that is really pissing me off this week…the presidential election.

1) I am pissed that John McCain is not showing his true colors…if he is angry and a hot head, I want to see that. I think we need to see John McCain’s anger a bit…I know the American public is asking to see some type of passion from him.

2) I am pissed that Barack Obama is spending so much money on his presidential campaign and then from the other side of his mouth, he is slamming the top 1% of income earners in the country (Obama himself is a wealthy man and became even wealthier with his book, and now he is going to be running a 30 minute ad before the World Series…that takes some bucks…and I actually like Obama, but I am not happy with his two-sided talk.) This just does not sound like it is in alignment with what we need to do in this country…stop spending so much damn money.

3) I am pissed that the media wants to give Joe Biden a “pass” on his recent comments about our potential impending international crisis if Obama is elected…what a ridiculous comment (as Bill O’Reilly would say…what a pinhead comment) to make at a time when we are riding such a bumpy road.

4) I am pissed that Sarah Palin is doing her best to come across as a “good ‘ole girl” and like a dumb blonde at times. She has to have some type of intelligence, or she would not have been able to turn a few things in Alaska around. She needs some help on this issue if she is going to come across as Presidential.

5) I have to throw something about Oprah in here, because as Kathy Griffin says “Oprah is one of the most powerful women in the county”, so let’s just get her into the mix…shall we? I am pissed that Oprah has said she would not have a presidential candidate on her regular show but that she is offering assistance to Obama for his 30 minute ad. Okay…so she’s Oprah, and she can do what she wants, but she seems to have her own “rules” and then walks around them to achieve her mission.

I know it’s easy for me to sit here and vent. I cannot begin to imagine what these people go through every day, but I am concerned about our next leader of this county. I am usually fully decided by this time, and I am just not…I’m worried.

So…I usually don’t speak up about such things, but I just have to be clear on my frustrations this week. All of the above is why I honestly cannot decide on who to vote for in two weeks. I suppose I’ll just flip a coin, because I will vote!

And…if you need to know…I am a registered Republican, and I am a moderate person. I rarely vote a straight ticket…I vote for issues and people who I think can do the best for our country, state and local community.

Senators Obama and McCain will sit down tonight for the last time before the election on November 4, and I have to say that I am still undecided (yes…my friends…I am still undecided.)

The main reason I am undecided has to do with what I feel like is a muddy, cloudy vision of what the next 4 years will be like and look like.  I am truly concerned about which candidate can pull us out of our financial situation and who can also get the US strongly positioned in the murky international waters we are swimming in at this time.  On the economic side, I still don’t hear a plan from either the Republicans or the Democrats that I can really sink my teeth into.  It still sounds like it’s up in the clouds.

McCain makes me feel confident on foreign affairs.  Obama somewhat has me on the financial side, really because of the changes he promises to make, but some of what he is suggesting also makes me wonder how much involvement the government will have in our future (and if that is a positive or a negative.)  Maybe we do need more involvement…the lack of involvement certainly has not seemed to help us, but when does the government’s involvement become too much?

From where I sit today, Obama does indeed come across as presidential.  I would be proud to have him speaking on my behalf in front of other nations and heads of state (and I do think he can inspire on camera…and this is still the only way our leader can reach the masses during a crisis.) On the other side is McCain…I want someone like that in Washington standing up to people and making the waves I know will be required to shake things up a bit, but he could certainly use a few tips on his executive presence.

I suppose at the end of the day, I do have more questions than answers.

As I end this post today, I encourage everyone to sit down today and write out the questions you have about each candidate, and do everything you can to get those questions answered.  And…above all means…make sure to go out and vote on November 4.  We are so fortunate to have that right!

In today’s world, it can be tough being a leader, because people in high power are doing the best they can to make people, organizations and political systems happy.

I sat and watched Barack Obama get grilled last night by Bill O’Reilly (see below.) Man…that was tough. I have never seen Obama get the least bit flustered, but on this one, he was really wiggling around. Of course, O’Reilly is usually tough, and one of the goals of the interview was to get Obama to admit that the surge in Iraq has been successful. Obama never really admitted during the interview that the surge has been successful, and many of the reporters later were criticizing Obama for not admitting when he is wrong…but maybe he really does not believe we have been successful due to the billions we are spending. Who knows?

When it comes to choosing a national leader, I want to choose a leader who takes responsibility for their actions AND for the nation’s actions. S— does not flow upstream…it flows downstream. So, at the end of the day, I want a leader who is going to be willing to stand up and say “I was wrong…and here is what I am going to do about it.”  In this post, I am not saying that Obama is wrong and needs to admit it…the interview simply brought the topic of responsibility to mind.   This character trait of self responsibility is huge! It is something that only a few people master in a lifetime, because more often than not, the ego is so much more powerful than our vulnerable side.

As you are considering the topic of self responsibility today, I will leave you with a short quiz. Take out a piece of paper, and rate yourself from 1-5, with 5 being the strongest/highest/most responsible score.

1) How responsible are you for your own behaviors, both positive and negative traits and how those impact people AND the systems you are a part of?

2) How responsible are you for your own happiness?

3) How responsible are you for becoming a more authentic leader?

4) How responsible are you with seeking out opportunities for growth and development in order to become a more authentic leader?

5) How responsible are you for how you use your time and financial resources?

6) How responsible are you for the companies you do business with? The people you spend time with? (It takes two people to be in any relationship, and you are one of those two people!)

7) How responsible are you for the groups/companies/cities/states you lead? Are you taking full responsibility for both the successes and the failures of the groups you serve?

How responsible are you for the words you speak?

9) How responsible are you for your own biases, beliefs and values and how they impact your decisions? Are you even aware of how your biases, beliefs and values impact your decisions?

10) How responsible are you for the legacy you are leaving to the world?

Gosh…I am now in a dilemma, as I thought I was going with Obama, but Governor Palin is a sharp cookie. The democrats are saying she’s “more of the same,” but I’m not sure about that.