HighGround Public Affairs Consultants

By: J. Charles Coughlin

The closing remarks of the President’s State of the Union address the other night were moving.  He spoke of the teamwork necessary to accomplish incredibly difficult and complex missions. He spoke of members of a team having each other’s backs.  He said that the way in which those members of our armed forces conducted themselves spoke exactly to the way in which elected officials should conduct the public’s business – selflessly serving the public good.

Unfortunately, our President words don’t match his deeds. On far too many occasions as it relates to his administration’s relationship towards Arizona, this President has let us down, time and again.

Rather than respond thoughtfully to the public outrage over illegal immigration, he played the race card, implying that “people could get arrested for going out for Ice cream.”  Rather than owning the debacle that has become the Fast & Furious gun walking fiasco, his Justice Department is laying the blame at the feet of Arizonans – both Democrat and Republican who know full well that the program was fully authorized at the highest levels of the Justice Department.  When the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas blew up, Janet Reno had the class to own it.  This Justice Department hasn’t met a problem it can’t deny.

Don’t forget that Holder didn’t even read the 1070 legislation before commenting on it.  They sued the state without so much as considering how to work with us and continue to fail to understand the root problem of the immigration crisis to begin with: Mexico. Rather than deal with the problem, they continue to play politics.

American reaction to the immigration crisis will continue to focus on the tail; immigration, rather than the dog; Mexico, until a Presidential Administration steps up and begins to redefine our nation’s relationship with our fourth largest trading partner and Arizona’s largest trading partner.

The President of the United States knows this and continues to use this issue as a political cudgel rallying the troops on the left to fight the troops on the right.  That is why President Obama opted to confront Governor Brewer about her book yesterday instead of discussing with her how she has been able to start the “Arizona Comeback.”  The President obviously can talk a good game about leadership, selflessness, and teamwork, but when it comes down to it his actions – picking a fight about a book, playing the race card on immigration, or owning his administration’s failure to let guns walk into Mexico – he is incapable of living up to his own rhetoric.

When President Obama uses stirring references like the one he used earlier this week in his speech, I just don’t believe him, and I don’t trust him and neither do a majority of the American people.

After his defeat of Senator McCain in 2008, I really wanted him to succeed; now I just want him to go.

We are excited to welcome Drew Sexton as a full time addition to the HighGround team!  Learn more about Drew:

Drew Sexton joined HighGround in January 2012 as an Assistant Account Executive after graduating from Arizona State University with a B.A. in political science and a minor in economics. Drew began as an intern with HighGround in May 2011 and worked on various campaigns, focusing on volunteer outreach and fundraising events.

Drew was a Ronald Reagan Fellow at the Goldwater Institute during the spring of 2011. He also worked for the non-profit, non-partisan think tank Washington Policy Center in Seattle, WA in the summer of 2010. During that time, Drew also gained public sector experience working in the office of King County Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer, o communicating with constituents, evaluating different public surveys and working together with job creators to improve King County.

While at Arizona State, Drew was a leader in the downtown Phoenix campus community by serving as a community assistant and organizing various community events. In addition, he also served as a member of the Judiciary Board for the student government of the Associated Students of ASU-Downtown.

Currently, Drew is working closely with the Matt Salmon for Congress campaign. He is responsible for working on volunteer outreach and coordination as well as setting up and attending various events for the campaign.

Drew lives in Tempe and loves cheering on his alma mater’s football team, soaking up political news, exercising and spending time with fellow Sun Devils. He is looking forward to learning more about the public policy industry and is excited to be part of the HighGround team.

David Brooks wrote an excellent article today titled “The C.E.O. in Politics” about the qualities of an executive President.  Without regard to the outcome of the Presidential Primary elections, the characteristics that Brooks describe really apply to any position of executive leadership from President to Governor to Mayor.  The qualities include:

• Emotional security
• Superb political judgement
• Experienced setbacks/understand personal weakness
• Instrumental mentality

On instrumental mentality, Brooks writes, “This sense of being an instrument gives them an organizing purpose. It gives them a longer perspective, so they don’t get distracted by ephemera. It means their administration marches in one direction, even though it is flexible and willing to accept incremental gains along the way.”     

Along with answering these questions that we have discussed before, any candidate seeking executive office should look within themselves to see if they have these qualities.

Today, Campaigns & Elections announced the finalists of the fourth annual Reed Awards. The finalists represent the top talent in the political consulting business in the fields of Direct Mail, Online Advertising, Newspaper Advertising, Phones, Political Technology, Signage and Collateral Material, Radio and Television.

HighGround, Inc is a finalist in the Toughest Direct Mail Piece category for their submission from the successful Sharon Wolcott for Mayor campaign.

Winners will be awarded for their 2011 campaign work at The Reed Awards Dinner on February 3, 2012 in Washington, DC

VALLEY FORWARD’S QUARTERLY LUNCHEON SERIES
Click here to register today:

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2012
11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

THE TEMPE MISSION PALMS HOTEL

60 East Fifth Street, Tempe, AZ 85281

CIVIL DISCOURSE: WHAT, HOW AND WHY NOW?

It seems to be the topic of many conversations these days. But what is civil discourse and how can we achieve it?  More importantly, why has the call become increasingly louder for a concerted effort to find a different way of electing our leaders, solving our problems and interfacing with each other? Join us in a conversation on civil discourse, the shifting of politics in Arizona, consensus building and regional thinking. It’s especially important in this presidential election year, which also marks Arizona’s centennial celebration and the 50th anniversary of Arizona Town Hall.

 To register visit: www.valleyforward.org
or call (602) 240-2408

As we break for the holiday it’s a good time for conservatives to reassess where we are and what we can accomplish. We recommend a thoughtful article by Steven F. Hayward in the Breakthrough Journal.

You can find the link by Clicking Here.

John 1: 9-14

⁹ The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. ¹¹ He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ¹² Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

¹⁴ The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.