Five ideas for the next President of the United States

Jon Meacham, the editor of Newsweek, has a new book out next month: American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House.

Pre-publishing PR releases are everywhere, and since I have connections at Borders Books and Music, and the book seems to have some ideas that are relevant even to today's presidential elections, I thought I'd touch on Meacham's five ideas for the next President of the United States of America:

1. Surround yourself with people who will tell it like it is.
   Too often people don't like to hear opposing viewpoints, but if the President represents ALL the people, and 50% or so of them have opposing viewpoints, perhaps an occasional good listen to the other side of the story would help.
2. Turn your weaknesses into strengths.
   McCain is known to have a temper, but he rarely turns that temper to his advantage. Obama, as Gen. Colin Powell said, is cool, calm, and consistent, which he can use to his advantage, and is in differentiating himself from the current administration's "shoot-from-the-hip" type of leadership.
3. Talk to the people you represent, all of them.
   Not happy with the liberal media and the conservative media? Start your own media. Reagan was great at doing this with his Fireside Chats. The current Bush, on the other hand, acts like a CIA operative, doing much in secret. Secrecy doesn't make for good government.
4. Maintain the separation between church and state.
   Jackson was quite religious—and Meacham is, too—but recognized that the right to believe or not, and how, was a fundamental American value. Government is too complicated as it is without muddling it with religion. The Founding Fathers came to America partially, and arguably mostly, because they were being persecuted for their religion, or lack thereof, in England, where the government sponsored the Church of England.
5. Have a backup plan.
   Those who lead fail in their leadership if they have only one plan. Afghanistan invasion. Iraq invasion. Bank bailout. Imagine if there had been backup plans.

After reading Meacham's thoughts, I can see where the current administration has failed both the American people and the world.