It never ceases to amaze me, the narrow minded-ness of two dimentional thinking Americans. Any person who is not able to see the importance of the well being of the middle class does not deserve to speak. That being said, the middle class is the true backbone of the American economy. If the middleclass is not thriving, who will buy you cars? Who will visit your restaurant? Shop at your malls? BARACK OBAMA has seen the importance of a well-balanced America.One tax break for the rich will not make up for them losing money for the rest of the year. It has to be balanced. I am a republican, I have vision too. Me and many of my business partners, and many other republicans voted democrat because we believe he truly has the plan to get America back on track.

As a small business owner, I have many concerns about the Obama administration. One, in particular, is his health care plan. We're already partly in a socialized health care system with Medicare and Medicaid. His single payer system for the uninsured (many of them by choice rather than circumstances) will undermine the wave of upstart grass roots insurance providers like pertquest and spinsurance.com I wish the market could really do its thing, which is making products more affordable. Can anyone honestly tell me a time when the federal government intervened and made things more cost efficient and streamlined?

Oh, PLuzeeeee!
Stop drinking the Kool-Aid.
The Democratic party is all about screwing the small business person.
And, Obama is no different than Pelosi or Reid

All of us – regardless of politics – who have ever attempted to buck an entrenched bureaucratic system should take heart in the election of Barack Obama. Despite the odds heavily stacked against him, Barack Obama beat the system and has become President-Elect. Forget race, the odds against a young, little known, under-funded, first-term Senator being able to garner the Presidential nomination of a Democratic party populated with leaders ready to coronate another candidate were so great that few gave such a dream any hope of success. Then to follow that by breaking through the barriers of race to win the Presidency with more votes than any person in the history of the country shows that with vision, plans, conviction and effective leadership, the system can be beaten.

No matter what our politics or who we voted for, all of us should take pride in America today. We should feel gratified that America has validated the promise of “opportunity for all.” Now, without having to cross our fingers, we can tell any child in America that they can become whatever they want to be. The message we have sent to our friends and enemies around the world is even more compelling. The symbolism of the Obama victory offers America the prospect of reconnecting with the soul, spirit and dreams of people across the world who once again can look to America as a partner in their dream for equality, promise and opportunity. God bless America!

Well, all that was the easy part. Now there comes the hard work – the fulfillment of opportunity. Barack Obama beat the system, but the real question is can he change the system?

When it comes to challenges facing this country – war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the threat of worldwide terrorism, a financial system in tatters and a deepening recession – Obama enters office on a par with Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt. The question is will he be able to perform on a par with these two Presidents?

Leading a complex, stagnant, bureaucratic government is far different from being an entrepreneur leading a company, but there are elements of leadership for both jobs that are consistent. Lincoln and Roosevelt both resolved the challenges facing them by changing the existing system and are revered for it. The path to success for Barack Obama – and America – is for him to apply the attributes of entrepreneurial leadership in order to change the current failed system.

What are some of the entrepreneurial leadership approaches Obama could apply to solve the challenges we face?

• Reminisce about the future. Offering a specific vision for the future, i.e. energy independence, and challenge industry to achieve.
• Be constant, consistent and concise. Followers follow and achieve when the leader is clear, specific and unvarying in the objective to be sought.
• Be an architect of the future and a builder in the present. Entrepreneurial leaders live in the future but act in the present. They see the big picture but recognize the way to achieve big things is to identify simple steps to do today and simply do them.
• Become a trust builder. People will buy into and commit to what the leader asks so long as the people trust the leader to be concerned about the interests of the people.
• Build parallel interests in all solutions. What is good for Wall Street must be good for Main Street. What benefits some should benefit all. Equality is not necessary but equity is.
• Offer constant, transparent communication to teach rather than tell. If people understand the objectives to be achieved and they are consistently reminded of the goals they will work to achieve them.
• Be decisive, multifaceted and ethical to a fault. The leader needs to be clear and unequivocal as to where he wishes to lead and can be counted on to do the right thing to achieve it.

The complexity of the challenges facing America may make these points seem simplistic and little more than bromides, but while the bureaucrat looks for complex solutions to complex problems, the entrepreneurial leader knows the path to success is to make the complex simple.

Here is hoping that President Barack Obama will apply these entrepreneurial leadership traits in order to change the system and resolve the challenges we all face. If so, he will be welcomed to the pantheon of great American leaders.

www.bobmaconbusiness.com

Another person making assumptions, based on a short sentance our brilliant persident said at a moments notice. People like you say things out of anger instead of just looking at the the issues. Baracks tax plan involves taxing people that make over $250,000 per year and giving a tax break to middle class America. Thats what he meant by "sharing" the wealth. The middle class has been overlooked for so long, in favor of kissing the as** of the very rich and big corporations. You don't get it! the middle class accounts for an overwheliming majority of our citizens and it's time someone realized that.

Taxes and Obama are a very touchy subject. On one side we see him being gentle with Joe the Plumber and on the other side he's talking about sharing the wealth. So which one is it? Small business owners are either going to be hurt or relieved when his plans come out.

Sincerely,

Ilya Bodner
Small Business Owner
Initial Underwriting Group

Joe the plumber.

Please.

Do some research. His middle name is Joseph.
He is a plumber...he has been plumbing for years. Are you a certified reporter? Has the government licensed you? Please.

I use my middle name. My uncles do the same. So my name isn't really Apollo? Am I not a farmer because the government doesn't have my property licensed or zoned as a farm?

Lay off of Joe. How dare he actually ask questions of THE ONE?

Joe became a national figure because he did something that nobody in the press dared to do. He asked about Obama's tax plan and Barack revealed his true thoughts about taking money from people who work and giving it to those who don't.

Have a nice day.

As for Barack being an entrepreneur? Please....

you don't get it! obama hates business, for him it's just something to tax....he will share the fruits of your labor with those that don't work. folks who voted for him want something for nothing. don't be surprised when he drives us to poverty so we have to kiss his a*s for a piece of stale bread.....don't believe it, just wait.

Great thoughts. Politics aside - Pres-elect Obama "got it" and McCain just didn't when it came to marketing in 2008. And he didn't just use the tools - he used them like his target audience wanted them to be used. He delivered the message using the media they used. He played his cards like a true 2008 entrepreneur - and he won. May all small business owners learn a lesson from him. More comments on this article on my blog.