My Candidate Can Beat Up Your Candidate…

by bsands

or Why fringe members of the GOP need to grow up. 

I’ve had it.  You can dub this a scathing post or a call to action.  Label it as you wish but I feel it’s time to call some of these bloviating blowhards that are in the GOP, my party, out and expose them for what they are-immature whiners who throw temper tantrums when they don’t get their way.  

I watched it happen at a BREC meeting several months ago when supporters of Marco Rubio demanded a straw poll between Speaker Rubio and Governor Crist.  First, they were out of order. They clearly haven’t taken the time to even read “The Idiot’s Guide To Robert’s Rules”.  Secondly, one of my friends so aptly pointed out “Roberts Rules is used by every executive committee, as its generally accepted parliamentary practice.” Additionally, Robert’s Rules of Order prohibits straw polls, calling them “meaningless and dilatory.” (Roberts Rules, 10thEdition, p. 415)  Third, several of them were obnoxious and rude providing fresh fodder for the Sun-Sentinel and the Miami Herald both of which love to write about the “fragmenting GOP”.

Recently, they turned their attacks on me calling me a “Crist lover” among other things.  That’s nothing compared to what they have been saying about our esteemed BREC Chairman, Chip LaMarca, for the past several months not only at the meetings but on blogs, Facebook and Twitter!

What is their motivation? What’s their real issue? I doubt we will ever really know but I for one refuse to get sucked into the vortex of their inane babble that is masked as “Real Conservatism”.   I am a true conservative.  I say that without equivocating, gesticulating or foaming at the mouth! The GOP is my party and quite frankly, YOU don’t speak for me.  In my opinion, you don’t speak for my party either.  The conservatives that I know are articulate, generous and thoughtful. They are principled and know what they believe and why they believe it.

If you support Speaker Rubio that’s good.  If you support Governor Crist that’s good.  Meaningful dialogue between mature people who know how to disagree without being disagreeable should be our modus operandi.  Thoughtful discussion will go a long way in helping us hone our message as a party and generally advance democracy.  The reverse is also true. No one furthers their cause (or candidate!) by shouting louder than the next person or spewing brash rhetoric that is inaudible and unintelligible. 

This is a clarion call for some within my party to stop with the nonsensical and infantile “My Candidate Can Beat Up Your Candidate” approach. Enough is enough. There’s too much at stake. It’s time for some to grow up and move on. Thankfully, the future of the GOP isn’t in their hands.

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What I Learned From Michael Jackson's Memorial Service

by Bob Sands

I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t bring myself to watch the whole memorial service because I knew it was going to be a study in showmanship. It was. And in some ways perhaps it was a fitting tribute to Jackson. Personal feelings aside and my particular view of him, what I saw of the service was instructive.

The performers execution was flawless. From singers to dancers to speakers, they put their game face on and brought it. How does that happen at such an emotional venue? And what can we learn from it? Three words say it all.

First, Preparation. When I am tapped to write a speech and subsequently coach a new client, said client is ofttimes shocked at how much work it takes to get to the finished product. They assume that if they can talk then they can speak. Part of that is true, IF you talk all the time in front of a group and IF you’ve given at least 500 extemporaneous speeches! But if you haven’t, winging it with a bullet point outline is akin to a mosquito sneaking up a cow’s tail with sex in mind! Speechwriting and the necessary spade work done by the speech writer puts the speaker at a real advantage when he or she makes it to the platform. But that’s only the first step.

The second word and step towards becoming a better speaker and presenter is practice. I know, I know, you have heard it all before but there’s a good reason – practice, and lots of it, will make your final presentation appear almost effortless. How much practice is enough? A good minimum rule of thumb is to take the allotted time for your speech and multiply it times 10. For example, if you are giving a 20 minute speech that means you should have 200 minutes of rehearsal or a little over 3 hours. That’s a full 10 rehearsals prior to the actual delivery! If that sounds like a lot of work, it is! But that’s the difference between being an amateur and a professional.

The third step is passion. Believe it what you are saying. If you aren’t passionate about your subject then don’t talk about it. Public speaking is as much about non verbal communication as it is verbal. And if you don’t believe in what you are saying, it will come across to your audience. The opposite is also true. How do you muster up passion? Spend some time reminding yourself why you want to deliver a presentation on the topic in the first place. Tony Robbins says, “Take care of the “why to” and the “how to” will take care of itself.” That’s good advice.

Virtually every performer and speaker at the memorial service was choreographed and scripted. They rehearsed and practiced to get it just right. And their passion made what they did memorable. Following these steps can make your speech or presentation memorable too!

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The Peril of Powerpoint

August 11, 2009

Is it me or does it seem like virtually every presentation that I attend I experience “death by power point”? And it is usually a slow, agonizing, painful demise!  Yes, it is THAT BAD!  To me, power point is “gulp” one of the worst inventions for speakers since the Chia pet!  I know, I know, [...]

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