Robert Hargrove

Dear Mr. President, I know you may feel discouraged, but we’re still rooting for you!

There have been three great waves of USA domestic transformation. The first was FDR with the New Deal and the second was LBJ with the Great Society. You represent the Third Wave and have picked up where the others left off—healthcare reform and making America competitive in the global economy.

The issue, Mr. President, is that while people want these reforms, the economic climate at this time is such that they are not ready to pay for them. As a result, your Third Wave has been at least temporarily slowed down or at least flattened out, and with the election of Scott Brown of Massachusetts, you may be feeling pretty discouraged.

Take heart! You still enjoy tremendous personal popularity and I believe you can cause a resurgence of this Third Great Wave, if you keep the following Masterful Coaching TPOV in mind: Anything is possible! There is always a path forward! Every situation is transformable. And the actions are up to you. (Especially this last one.)

1) Anything is possible! You need to continue to hold out the vision of affordable healthcare for all. What American Democrat or Republican can disagree with that?

2) There is always a path forward. You need to create a visceral bond with the American public that change is necessary, and I would start to echo the public’s frustration with the rancor between Democrats and Republicans, and Washington’s bi-partisan gridlock and incompetence.

3) Every situation is transformable. Demonstrate through your own personal behavior several courageous acts of bi partisan political mastery that represent some small steps. For example, call a meeting of the two parties on healthcare and enthusiastically adopting two big ideas the Republicans are championing—frivolous malpractice lawsuits against doctors and lifting a regulatory ban on state experimentation in healthcare.

4) The actions are up to you. Stay focused on small steps that can build rapid momentum. How about passing 20% of your health care bill this year?

It’s my belief that, if you took this coaching to heart, you would not only maintain your popularity, but generate the political and economic will needed to cause a resurgence of this Third Great Wave of Domestic Transformation … and just possibly go down in history as a Great President.