Its great to see President Elect Obama aggressively taking on the economy prior to his taking office. Unfortunately, the economic advisory team that he has put together looks more like a semester’s worth of great guest speakers for an MBA class than an economic advisory team that can truly help him.
There are a lot of great minds on the list.
“Robert Rubin, Larry Summers, Laura Tyson, who served as Clinton’s top economic adviser; former Fed Vice Chairman Roger Ferguson; Time Warner Inc. Chairman Richard Parsons; former Securities and Exchange Commission chairman William Donaldson and Xerox Corp. Chief Executive Officer Anne Mulcahy.
Google Inc. CEO Eric Schmidt, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm and Roel Campos, an ex-SEC commissioner, and Warren Buffett are also on the advisory board.”
Notice anything missing ?
Not a single entrepreneur. Yes Warren Buffett started a business, but he will be the first to tell you that he “doesn’t do start ups”. Which means there isn’t a single person advising PE Obama that we know of that knows that its like to start and run a business in this or any economic climate. That’s a huge problem.
If we are going to solve our current economic problems, our President needs to get first hand information on the impact his proposed policies will have on real Joe the Plumbers. People who are 1 person companies living job to job, hoping they get paid on time. We need to know what the impact of his policies will be on the individually owned Chrysler Dealership in Iowa. The bodego in Manhattan. The mobile phone software startup out of Carnegie Mellon. The event planner in Dallas. The barbershop in LA. The restaurant in Boston.
Entrepreneurs that start and run small businesses will be the propellant in this economy. PE Obama needs to have the counsel of those who will take the real risk inherent in creating companies and jobs. Those who put their money and lives on the line with their business.
Without it, the rules of unintended consequences of any economic policy could hit you in the mouth in ways you never expected. Things like forcing companies from being taxpayers to the underground cash economy, or forcing new hires to be independent contractors to avoid having to pay their insurance or higher matching social security amounts. Your current group has no one with 100pct of their networth on the line. I promise you that the possibility of losing it all will provide a completely different perspective than any of the “knowledge” the esteemed, learned members of his current advisory team offer.
PE Obama, I’m always available to help, but my recommendation would be to randomly go through the new incorporation filings and ask for volunteers to give feedback. Ask the people who are actually starting new businesses what they need.
Entrepreneurs will lead us out of this mess. Talk to them.
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This thing has become a circus. There is a problem and that is the Obama plan.
Comment by Geofrey -
The good news is that once the DOW tanks another 1000 points there would be no way but up. I think to a great extent OBAMA will need help from all citizens and the signs are promissing. It appears that the people have awakened and see that we have problems. Recognizing that there is a problem is the first and perhaps the most important step towards recovery.
Comment by KT -
Maybe you should apply for that Commerce position that Obama can’t fill?
Comment by jenn -
Adam Smith’s invisible hand has been crushed and replaced
by a sweaty, desperate, open outstretched hand … one which is
wanting instead of earning, expecting instead of deserving.
you are a dynamic, successful business leader — your blog is popular
because of your personality.
instead of writing about sports and newspapers needing each other or
other things which have no intrinsic value to the reader….
why not inspire us with stories of greatness. surely, you have some.
Comment by John Galt -
mark
do you have dual israeli and us citizenship?
Comment by william driscoll -
Your spending too much time defending or attacking the president-elects’s advisory board. I give you a reason to stop blogging ,YOU do not have time for it!
You are on your way to starting something great and you do not have the time to devote
to someone’s issues other than your own; because it is time that we as individual
Americans, with our sense of INDIVIDUAL achievement, spend working
toward what makes America great. This is the fact that you and only you can
make your life better than it is, the one overriding IDEA that makes
this country great, and other counties do not posses this in such abundance, any cup filled to capacity,including one of wealth, will overflow. We are not Americans because of our wealth, in the world we are Americans because of the IDEAS that we as a people posses. That is right I said people, we are so diverse as a country, but we all share that idea, the Chinese came here because they could make their lives better, the Italians came here because they could make their lives better, the Irishmen came to America because of the idea that he could make his life better. Tell me is there any other country in the world that you would rather be a citizen of?
Comment by Jimmie Bean -
Mark, do you not consider investors entrepreneurs? I think you’d have to consider Larry Sommers an entrepreneur, he has a conglomerate of investments in “start ups” in Silicon Valley. That aside, Google is innovating and creating new businesses and products daily, so I think we’d have to consider Eric Schmidt an investor….
See you in LA on the 28th when you guys whooop on the clippers…
Comment by Tyler Beerman -
Mark,
Why is anyone shocked?
His proposed tax increases for Partnerships, LLCs and S-Corps will have a devistating impact on the average small business owner. Simply proposing the increase displayed a lack of understanding of the hands-on complications of running a small business.
Elitist? I don’t think so. But maybe isolated – I don’t know how many entrepreneurs he met at Harvard, the Illinois House or the Senate. Not many, I suspect.
Comment by Terry Johnson -
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Well Mark,
Why don’t you suggest President-elect Obama get you on board?
Comment by lewp -
Someone STARTING a business will not have the insight needed on the interface between business and government. Someone who has RUN a business — or who follows the interests of entrepreneurs — would be better.
Comment by Susan Kuhn Frost -
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When starting a business from the ground up rookie or not the support team don’t have to have a
“pre entrepreneur” back ground- but the ability to sale.
Aside from that how many wrong moves has each of us responding to this blogg made before there were absolutes-
Before we shut Obama down let see what his skills are made of….conclusion jumpers.
Comment by Bob Long -
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Mark Cuban will sell us the rope with which we will hang him.
What did you expect by voting for Obama. He was clear as a bell he would govern from the left. To him, entrepreneurs are greedy people who unjustly benefited form their lot in life. Be careful of what you ask for because you might get it.
Comment by Richard B -
Mark,
Don’t be a bone head, one of the greatest entrprenuers of our generation
is Eric Schmidt. Were you hoping to make the list?
Comment by sean -
Those entrepreneurs may not be economists, but they sure know what the impact of economic policies will be on their places of business. They can pretty much calculate how many people they’ll have to lay off, for example, if one of the professorial notions is to raise taxes. It doesn’t matter how many people will theoretically get a “tax cut” if their employers have to let them go due to the tax hike imposed on the owner.
Everyone who has run a business knows this scenario: The well-trained high IQ PhD type can’t seem to drive his/her thinking down to the level of dollars and cents, decision making, and the implications for the company. Yes, he/she is the brightest person in the room. On paper. But I agree with Cuban – you have to have a mix of the academic, along with the entrepreneurial. These days, we seem to give the highest esteem to those people who can answer the test question correctly, rather than those who have a knack for getting things done, and those who can think through the real-world implications of that “correct” answer. The only thing wrong with academia is thinking that academic solutions are the only solutions that are the best, or even truly valid.
Comment by Kyle -
The shortage of credit is across the board. I received a letter of commitment from a large European Bank and then had the rug pulled out with the statement..”all major funding is on hold” all within 4 hours. I didn’t even get enjoy the commitment part much less the plan to move my project forward. (Nuclear Power plant in the US) oh yes the loan $160,000,000. You cant get a loan for even the smallest to the largest of projects. Hopefully it changes and SOON.
Comment by Greg Holtz -
You know you should not be a surprise to you at ALL. You carried Obama’s water through out the election, as well as others,There was nothing in the pre Obama’s languaged that would even suggest he would have other wise.
He and his team did ther best to check the background of Joe the plummer since he was a threat….You know Joe the plummer can only help others…last I checked he cannot raise my taxes,commit our sons and daughters to war, create burdonsome business regulations.
Herman is an living in another universe as are you. Enjoy the next 4 years,
Comment by David Thomas -
@ Mark Brennan: “Joe the Plumber” is an actor – I doubt he knows the
first thing about plumbing.
Comment by Dale -
What a load of baloney. The great minds that Obama has brought together to address cleaning up the economy are 100%
the right people for the job.
Entrepreneurs do not make good economists. Period.
Neither do stockbrokers. Period.
Joe the plumber is, of course, the dumbest economist that ever ewalked the earth. That’s why he’s a plumber
who makes $40K a year and doesn’t pay his taxes.
Larry Ellison, Bill Gates, Sergey Brin, Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Carl Icahn and 20 more silicon valley icons do not have one economist brain between the lot of them.
They have other talents.
Economics is a macro universe. It is divorced from small business, startups, plumbers, housewives and the price of eggs.
The massive mistakes of the past 20 years have been largely the result of assumptions around entrepreneurs’ ability to
predict economic shifts and to design solutions for problems they pretend to understand.
Comment by mark brennan -
Guy Kawasaki! PE Obama should put Guy Kawasaki on his team!!
Comment by Herman -
How many people miss Avery Johnson now? Okay, how many people miss Devin Harris…someone who could drive to the basket at critical times? Everyone who called for Avery to leave you got your wish, and everyone who said that Avery was too controlling you see what happens when you leave to these players. You wanted up tempo, you got up tempo. All of you Dirk apologists ask yourself this question: Why didn’t he take the last shot. Would Kobe or any other great player let someone shoot the last shot? NO! He is weak and you guys should stop crying about how you feel sorry for him. He is the most untouchable sports star in the history of this town. Do you people remember that we asked Troy Aikman to leave, and he won 3 championships? To the person that stated the Avery rode Dirk, have you ever noticed how Popovich rides Duncan? Great Players want coaches to hold them accountable. Weak players shoot fade away 3 pointers.
How about the owner who has a man crush on Jason Kidd who traded a younger point guard for an older one not to mention a 1st round pick….can you say Jacked Up!? I think it’s becoming evident that this team isn’t as good as everyone thought they were. I think Avery willed them to wins that they would not have ordinarily won. How about those players that said that they would quit if Avery stayed? I bet they wish he were here now. I have come to the opinion that Avery didn’t lose those playoff games but it was the sad collection of current players with gigantic egos, overblown self confidence, and a cargo load of pointy fingers. Stir in an owner that is more of a fantasy basketball player than a realist and you have the Mavericks.
Get ready for a long season similar to what was seen tonight. Jason Kidd is a stat whore, he only worries about getting a triple double every game, and then fouls at the worst possible time in the game. Good lord. And where is the alleged “leadership” that he was supposed to bring? Whatever Cuban saw that made him think trading a point guard ten years younger (who is a better scorer, mind you) a good idea, we better start seeing it soon.Maybe our team needs to mature…. oh wait, our starting lineup is ancient. Good job Cuban. Every major decision you’ve made in the last two years has been the wrong one.
This WHOLE TEAM SUCKS, INCLUDING DIRK. I’m sick of you guys like you trying to blame everyone on the Mavericks except Dirk. YOU are the one that needs to stop “riding” Dirk. Everyone deserves the blame for the Mavericks short comings. All of these guys, INCLUDING DIRK, are choke jobs. ESPECIALLY in the playoffs. And you trying to compare Carlisle and Avery at a time like this? When the Mavericks have lost 4 straight games at home for the first time since 1994? I wasnt the biggest Avery fan, but you CAN’T compare these guys right now, Carlisle is making Avery look like Red Auerbach!
Comment by george -
I agree that Obama’s economic policies should aim to help
small businessmen but that doesn’t necessarily mean that small
businessmen themselves have to be advisers to Obama. Just as you don’t
choose a doctor because they have had your disease, or a defense
attorney because they’ve been a defendant before, or an undertaker
because they’re dead, you don’t put Joe the Plumber in charge of
fixing the economy.
Comment by Alex V -
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It’s bodega* Mark.
🙂
Go Mavs.
Comment by Dustin E. -
Who is John Galt?
Comment by Fred -
So, I’m surprised you’re shocked. Obama….man of great WORDS.
Comment by West -
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Neil – I fear that we have all seen Obama’s greatet day. Good Community organizer but judgement….already shown that he lacking in some of the most practical ways. Leaking info to people about his meeting with Bush. How inmature and egotictical. It’s going to be a fun 4 years…..NOT!
Comment by Judy -
Um, I’d just like to say that the vast majority of entrepreneurs are infact failures by definition. While their spirit & drive are to be saluted and supported, I’m not sure they really have that much more to add to the conversation. Now then, about this nonesense that American economic success is driven by entrepreneurism. NONESENSE! History tells us that innovation & business consolidation is what has driven American economic success. I’m not saying that’s a good thing, but it is just a cold hard fact.
Comment by wonkguy, Bethesda MD -
Mark, you’re dumb.
Comment by Larry -
Obama was and is a lawyer. Since when has ANY lawyer EVER created a penny of value anywhere, anytime?
As for you folks you think Mark is off-base, sorry you’re missing his point.
The event planners and joe the plumbers don’t need to understand credit derivatives to aid in the rebuilding of the economy. In fact I would suggest it’s a good thing they don’t.
In an interview I watched on PBS, even Warren Buffet said he doesn’t fully understand the derivatives market. He also said when he bought a company a number of years ago, when evaluating the business, the division which held the derivatives was so confusing they unloaded it, at a $400 Million dollar lose. He doesn’t invest in what he doesn’t understand. That being said Buffet has been too big too long to understand small business, which is the real backbone of the North American economy today.
So back to Cuban’s point, without a small business contingent advising Obama – put on your crash helmets, it’s going to get ugly.
Comment by Len -
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Mark,
As a non-partisan, Libertarian-purist independent, I think you need to quit
smoking crack if you think PE Obama cares anything about business owners
and entrepreneurs like myself. I have no confidence this man has any respect
for those of us that start and grow businesses.
Comment by Dave Curry -
Cuban in 2012!! If you could do for the US that you did for the Mavs then our country is set! Your advice resigns with me today: Read the fuckin’ manual.
Comment by nellykay -
Mark, you are absolutely right.
(Somewhere people are gasping in horror, as I had decreed long ago, I would never say that!)
I should be on that advisory panel! Or another of my colleagues who run small businesses.
Comment by Lee Henderson -
Whomever wrote this article can kiss my @%!! Leave Barack the hell alone and let him do his job. If you’re so hot, why don’t you see if you can get on his board?
Comment by michelle -
Great point. While I agree with the comment about that Obama is a type of enterpreneur, I also think it would be a really good idea to get one on his financial advisory board, too
Are you volunteering Mark?
Comment by Debbie -
“In 2003 Barack Obama ran for the U.S. Senate with no money and even less supporters but preached a message of “change” that many voters in Illinois believed in. He subsequently won that election in 2004 garnering 70% of the vote.”
Not to start a political discussion here as it’s not the point of the blog, but you do realize he won in an essentially unchallenged election due to both his opponents dropping out.
Comment by Blake -
I think Mark is only partially right.
PE O’B wanted to show those who didn’t vote for him (like moi) with this collection of economic “advisors” that none of the people to whom he would listen about economic reality was William Ayers.
This is just a shell game so far. We don’t know to whom he will really listen. Hopefully at least one of them will be someone who actually does something.
Comment by John Durkee -
Why are Americans so partisan? Being liberal does not mean
anti-innovation just as conservative does not mean intolerant.
Obama’s campaign itself was entreprenuerial and his website(s)
served as a model even for opponents. Of course entreprenuers will
be advising him. We all can:at http://www.change.gov. Enough with the labels!
Let’s stop being observers and advisors and get to work. Whether
Obama does the right thing or not (we can’t really control that now)
it doesn’t prevent us from doing what we can, if we care so much.
Comment by Norman -
The U.S. government is not a start-up, it’s an old antiquated, bad-habited machine with a sniveling board that in-fights more often than it in-solves. Nevertheless, you make a good point; to round out any executive management team with a melange of talent and perspectives that will pose unanticipated questions, give birth to a spectrum of palatable solutions to old problems and and have the range to design comprehensive strategies for the future that represent a drilled down, 360 view in which TJs(The Joes) from all walks benefit from embedded opportunities to prosper.
Comment by Elizabeth -
Go to Obama’s website change.gov and let him know how you feel. Let him know how you want to help
make America better for everyone.
Comment by Deborah Davis -
Honestly Mark,
Did you expect him to have entrepreneurs on his economic advisory board; when his platform stood for everything against it? Really?
But this is what makes America great. Even though I did not vote for the same person you did, it is my civil responsibility to work with those in elected office to voice my opinions, concerns, and ideas as a way of being a part of the solution, and not just a complainer.
So while most will “cower in the corner” of our new President’s theories; I will be working with my representatives to help make his theories stronger and more complete; not one-sided. “Cowering in the corner” will destroy this nation.
Comment by Nate -
Mark, try e-mailing your viewpoint to the Obama planners and they may just agree with you!
It’s not a party issue just a concern that needs to be addressed. I volunteered ocer the preprimary and election cycle and found his people very interested in what the people believe needs to be done and in what ways. The term begins 1/20/2009.
Get your viewpoints in and see what happens.
Ruth
Comment by Ruth Blunier -
In 1994, Jim Clark and Marc Andreessen founded Netscape on the basis of allowing many people to browser the internet, ultimately securing 90% market share. In 1995 Microsoft the world’s largest software company, launched IE 1.0 to combat this upstart that came out of no where to steal its customers. IE 1.0 was horrible but the point was to get some starting point in which to distribute their browser free of charge to all customers. Their plan worked and Netscape was acquired by AOL in 1998. A small group of innovative entrepreneurs developed a product, raised money, pushed it to the masses and was ultimately crushed by the establishment. However, Netscape ushered in a whole new wave of startups that would not have even been created if Messrs Clark and Andreessen had not jumped first.
In 2003 Barack Obama ran for the U.S. Senate with no money and even less supporters but preached a message of “change” that many voters in Illinois believed in. He subsequently won that election in 2004 garnering 70% of the vote. Inspired by what he believed was possible, Mr. Obama launched his Presidential campaign in 2007 with a little more money and lot more supporters than his Senate campaign. He raised money and attracted followers like Netscape did, and won the election with 53% of the vote.
The moral of the story is that if you look at President-elect Obama’s list of advisors and you don’t see an entrepreneur, it’s because Mr. Obama is the entrepreneur. Often we associate entrepreneurs with for-profit entities that develop a product; deliver the product; then take in profits. The U.S. Government is the biggest company in the world and its product is democracy. Mr. Obama created a startup that re-invented the “product” and made it more accessible to all Americans. The Establishment tried everything in its power to stop his “company” from gaining market share but failed – miserably. Barack Obama, Inc., led by its founding CEO, re-engineered democracy, gained customers, raised money via IPO ($500mm+), opened regional offices, acquired raving fans, then won the election.
“Entrepreneur – is a person who has possession over a company, enterprise, or venture, and assumes significant accountability for the inherent risks and the outcome. Entrepreneur in english is a term applied to the type of personality who is willing to take upon herself or himself a new venture or enterprise and accepts full responsibility for the outcome.”
For this reason, I disagree with you Mark on the title of this post. That was not a mistake he made; that was leadership.
Comment by econ365 -
Yes, but make sure it’s an entrepreneur who was a “Joe the Plumber” and who hasn’t lost the common touch.
Successive governments in the UK have “employed” entrepreneurs who are big business owners (Richard Branson, Stelios Haji-Ioannou of EasyJet, etc)but have forgotten/aren’t interested in the small business any longer. They do, however, L-O-V-E the publicity.
Sorry for the cynicism but in the UK we’ve had nothing but lip-service for years.
Comment by Stuart Jones -
Of course, the irony is – Barack isn’t even PRESIDENT yet. For another TEN WEEKS, George Wan… sorry, WaLker Bush (a.k.a. The Monkey) will still occupy the Oval Office – although with a Democrat-dominated Senate and House Of Representatives, the only REAL duty left to him is to show Barack where the secret entrance to the Executive Bathroom is…
Comment by theworldaccordingtomorpheus -
Mark, I think there’s a ton of wisdom in what you’re saying and suggesting. I hadn’t even thought of many of these points until you wrote them down. I think talking to new start ups about what they need is ingenious!
Comment by RC of strangeculture -
While it would be beneficial for Obama to have the input of
entrepreneurs who could articulate how his plans and proposals would
affect the “everyman,” I’m not so sure they should be included on
this advisory team. I agree with Publius’ assessment.
Also, as a Michigan resident I am baffled at the comments dumping on
Jennifer Granholm being chosen to this advisory team. Those who
actually live in Michigan or pay any attention at all would know that
Michigan’s economy was already in the crapper long before she took
the reigns.
She has made the best of a pitiful situation and has some great ideas.
Those who are commenting saying she has “single handedly run MI into
the ground” and “run michigan into ruin” are absolutely IGNORANT.
Comment by Lance -
I think you make a good point, Mark. He should be listening to as
many entrepreneurs as possible. They are the ones starting the businesses
and should be able to offer him some wisdom. However, he was just elected
a week ago, so let’s not be too quick to point out his mistakes before
he’s sworn in.
Comment by Newamba Flamingo -
Hey Mark, Maybe you are jumping the gun here. The guy just started. No one gets everything right the first time starting a new endeavor. What does go wrong will be corrected with some sort of integrity, something Pennsylania ave. has not had in eight years. They have great minds to start with and so far as we know not a bunch of corrupt good ole’ boys. Give the guy a chance. Better yet, give him a call. When he finds out you’re buying the Cubs I’m sure you re call will be a priority. Lastly, while I’m on predictions, you’ll have those cubbies soon. Thanks for the thoughts.
Comment by Frankie from Lawnside -
Do you really expect them to release a list of the entrepreneurs and academics that they intend to
consult with behind the scenes?
(eye roll)
get a grip
Comment by whatever -
What in the past two years has given you any indication that Obama was in favor of the entrepreneur? The next four years will be the era of the big business bailout. They’re lining up to be in Obama’s cabinet. The first man he named to his staff was a Freddi Mac’r.
Small businesses, hold on to your wallet for the next four years. PE Obama is going to take you money and spread it around to bail out the big businesses.
Comment by Jay Ehret -
Ping.. FYI, the next server is out there. and its scary what this thing can do in the wrong hands. along with technology must come the moral and ethical responsibility to use it wisely. the people who have contacted me don’t care about anything but the almighty dollar. what does this have to do with topic? well, this server is in the private sector and its owners are, as we speak, wining and dining the US government. the small business owner won’t have the resources to have access to this type of techology and, once again, the goverment will. MORE goverment control, LESS power for and by the people. this is just ONE of the problems of not having an actual entrepreneur on, or available to, the PE or his cabinet. our voices need…MUST.. be heard! the small business owner keeps this country alive in every aspect. we can’t have the ball dropped now. too much at stake.
Comment by Tad Taylor -
LUCID LUNATIC THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE. BASHING SARAH PALIN LIKE
THAT. SHE COULD RUN THIS COUNTRY BETTER THAN ANY DEGENERATE
MORAL WICKED SINNER COULD. JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE A MAN DOESN’T
MEAN THAT YOU ARE ANY SMARTER THAN A WOMAN. EVE WAS DECEIVED, BUT
ADAM WAS NOT. ANYONE OF MORAL CHARACTER WOULD DO A BETTER JOB
OF RUNNING THIS COUNTRY THAN SOMEONE WHO IS HAVING ORAL SEX IN THE
WHITE HOUSE AND SELLING OUT HIS COUNTRIES TOP SECRETS (BILL CLINTON)
THANK GOD HIS WIFE DIDN’T GET ELECTED. HOW WOULD SHE HAVE SOLD OUT
AMERICA WHEN HER HUSBAND ALREADY DID. MCCAIN WANTS US TO WORK WITH
BABY KILLER OBAMANATION. I DON’T WORK WITH BABY KILLERS. ALL OF YOU
WHO VOTED FOR OBOMBA SHOULD WATCH A BABY MURDER VIDEO AND ASK
YOURSELF IF YOU ARE STILL PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN WHERE OVER 60
MILLION BABIES HAVE BEEN MURDERED. THEN ASK YOURSELF, AM I GOING
TO HEAVEN. DOESN’T IT SAY SOMEWHERE THOU SHALT NOT KILL. IT ONLY
GOES TO SHOW THAT THERE ARE SOME REALLY SICK PEOPLE OUT THERE IN DIRE
NEED OF MENTAL HELP OR SHOULD I SAY IN NEED OF REPENTANCE.
Comment by SAMUEL LEOS -
I’ve heard, and seen on tv, your immense “passion” yet I find it misplaced. It’s a “big” mistake that your preferred figureheads weren’t in his photo-op. I guess.
I love this site because you bleed the ink on this blog. I wish you played the game more politically; at least, you’d have a chance at my Cubbies. You definitely own the right team because you are definitely a “maverick.” Yet, imagine the difference you could make if you added salt to your pepper. It’s definitely good entertainment.
Comment by Joe -
Do you think the lemonade was 10 cents for rich people and free for poor people?
Comment by anonymous -
Just because they aren’t entrepreneurs doesn’t mean there aren’t business savvy. You are an entrepreneur and you dabble in basketball and do alright.
Comment by baugh -
I don’t get it. Obama himself is the ultimate entrepreneur. He declined the safety net afforded by going to the big law firm or the cush job clerking for a judge in order to try his hand at making real change on the streets of Chicago. Like any other uber successful entrepreneur, he used discipline, hard work and exploited the timing of his big opportunities and took his success beyond capital accumulation toward something much bigger. So, understanding the map from the garage to the building with your name on it is there, even though it’s not represented from business.
I find it absurd if you feel he’s ignoring the perspectives of entrepreneurs. His entire tax policy is geared toward providing people economic incentives toward being entrepreneurial. Essentially, if you aren’t rich now, he’ll help make it easier so that those with less can be entrepreneurial by providing more income for “95% of Americans.”
Comment by Joe -
It is intriguing that in fact both the haters and the supporters are continuing to hash it out after the election is over. This really holds well for our future if we continue to ping the crap out of each other about positions that for the most part don’t matter. Mark, your original point about having an entrepreneur in the line up is a good one but, I think that you can also safely assume that the folks on that current list aren’t the only ones that have input. In terms of people moaning that small businesses can’t get loans… that’s just not the case. The SBA-backed loan business is exploding. I know, I’ve spoken to people in the industry. You do have to have a little more than a 1st year MBA business plan together and something that represents a credit history, but it is really no harder than it was today. I’m firmly convinced that the vast majority of folks would just rather tear each other up to prove who was “right” rather than work together to come up with solutions. It is the stuff that in general, we are so guilty of in Corp. America, and it spills over into our blogs, grocery store trips and church socials. Mark, keep sparking the good debate. We (the american public) prove on a daily basis we need it.
peace,
.bb
Comment by BB -
There will be no entrepreneurs without credit. Credit is the problem. How is an entrepreneur supposed to revive the housing marketing or the current credit crisis? That is the heart beat of today’s economic disaster. Joe the Plumber can’t solve these problems. He can’t even pay his taxes. So let’s get these problems fixed before we start enlisting “Joe the Plumber” types to advise the President Elect on our nation’s economy.
Comment by successjump -
Good observations, and they are echoed by several other people who should also be considered for Obama’s economic advisory team. People like Peter Schiff (http://www.europac.net/), Ron Paul’s economic advisor who predicted the current credit crisis with stunning accuracy over four years ago, would make an ideal choice for Treasury Secretary.
Another good choice would be Juan Enriqez, who dazzled everyone at last month’s Pop!Tech conference with his presentation on our economic problems by reminding us that we’ve seen this happen several times before in other countries (e.g., Mexico, Argentina, Japan, Indonesia, etc.) and the way to get ourselves out of the quicksand is to dramatically reduce the size of our government and implement painful but necessary austerity measures to restore confidence in the markets.
His 10 Commandments for the next president are sober suggestions that must be considered.Enriquez’s presentation is available online at http://www.poptech.com/juanenriquez/
You cannot magically create wealth from debt. Debt must be minimized before you
can begin growing a free market economy.
Comment by Terry -
Question: which entrepreneurs were acting as economic advisers to the Clinton administration during the economic boom of the 1990s that was mostly fueled by entrepreneurs such as yourself, Mark?
Comment by Jim Gross -
Mark – great perspective. Having worked for Disney, Yahoo and IAC,
I can tell you first hand that large and small businesses think
very differently. Large companies innovate through acquisition and small
companies have to make real-time decisions on the month / quarter that
force ruthless efficiencies. Neither are right, just different approaches at
how to solve challenges.
Comment by Brian Bowman -
It’s all a show, and only big names can be impressive. Besides that
the entrepreneurs are mostly republicans. The democrats dumped them
in Clintons first year in office. We are just seeing the third term
of Bill, and just like Bill, he will go back on his promises in the
first quarter of his term. Then all of his democrat buddies in the
Senate will get the boot in 2 years. Then the country will get better
as he won’t be able to spend, spend, spend. Unfortunately, I’m sure
that the military budget will get cut, which is why all of our enemies
laid low while the election was going on.
Comment by Nashville Real Estate Blog -
I think someone on the Obama Team must be reading your website Mark!
Washington, DC — Julius Genachowski, one of the three co-founders of DC-based early stage investment firm LaunchBox Digital, has been named to the transition team of President-elect Barack Obama, according to The Washington Post. Genachowski is a co-founder and managing director of Rock Creek Ventures, as well as the former chief of business operations at InterActiveCorp (IAC). He also served as the chief counsel to former FCC Chairman Reed Hundt. The Post reported that Genachowski attended law school with Obama, and helped stress the importance of high-tech issues during the campaign. LauchBox, also co-founded by Sean Greene and John McKinley, launched its operations a year ago. The firm provides entrepreneurs accepted into its program with funding, mentoring and infrastructure support to help bring their ideas to market. Another tech executive — Google.org’s Sonal Shah — also reportedly has been named to the transition team.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/posttech/2008/11/obama_picks_high-tech_and_wash.html?nav=rss_blog
Comment by Joseph Bajin -
what else would u expect??..most people don’t understand the Hyde Park/UofC mindset..CLASSICAL ivory towerism.
Comment by hoteandamericanpolitics -
After 8 years of Republican rule, give the guy a chance to undo the
mess. Mark, I’d love you to throw your name in the hat: change.gov.
Comment by Mike -
I completely agree with you. What I see in his medical program scares the life out of me.
If a busienss has a ten percent net profit and generates $250,000.00 with ten employees then they are going to be at risk of paying out over $30,000.00 a year in medical. This is a good way to kill small business in and of itself. I really wish we could find a president who could relate to the small business owner.
Comment by Joseph Zeleny -
Hey, can I borrow a buck?
Comment by John R -
Mark, it didn’t occur to you that Cindy McCain and Sarah Palin have more experience in running ‘real’ businesses than Obama, Biden and John McCain?
I’ll be over here cowering the corner while our new President begins to test out his theories (and insulate himself appropriately). Enjoy the Kool-Aid hangover, it’s going to last four years..
Comment by Chris -
Mark,
Why are you so surprised? Obama doesn’t know squat about business and this proves it. He doesn’t know the difference between a founder and a custodian. He’s got all custodians — stuffed shirts in many cases — which will not get the job done. This is my main problem with Obama. He has a very thin background.
Comment by stone -
Could you imagine a SMB entrepreneur advising on macro economic policies?
Would they even understand what the hell everyone else is talking about?
You don’t fit the bill anymore – sure your start companies, but you don’t need to “bet the company”.
Comment by Chris Hamoen -
Mark, I dont understand how you can post this knowing you voted for Obama. Didn’t you know that voting for him was a vote against all the Joe The Plummers? This administration will return the largest decrease in small businesses in decades. Its too bad people were more focused on their emotions than the issues in this election.
Comment by Kyle -
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=aatlky_cH.tY&refer=home
and what is O’s and mark’s position on above?
Comment by vic -
Mark – The comment box is formatted incorrectly in Firefox; it doesn’t wrap the text correctly making it hard to see the comment you’re leaving. Just an FYI.
Comment by Ben -
I agree 100% Mark. I was really surprised actually to see so many CEO’s of major corporations on his advisory board after he attacked big business so much during his campaign. I doubt that any of them are advising PE Obama to increase their corporate tax rate!!!
I would hope that he recruits more entrepreneurs as advisers and he could start with you!
Comment by Ben -
Partisanship aside I never hear or read the following. Most small businesses I know of are not a corporate entity. They are S-corps and LLC’s. The impact is never mentioned. Both of these types of organizations are pass-through entities. This means that the income derived from the entity passes through as an income line item on each person’s personal 1040. I always hear about tax breaks for corporations but does anyone really understand that true small businesses basically report their taxes on their own personal returns. So ideally the breaks need to come that way if breaks are even needed at all. Obama’s policy of people over 250,000 being taxed more really does not stimulate business growth. I could give countless examples of businesses that make 250,000 that are not rich. Also, in order to stay in business it is crucial that they retain a certain portion of this business income in the business to sustain further growth. Additionally, the state of the economy is causing more and more bad debts that are written off against future earnings. Somebody needs to advise the elected officials of the intricaces of these scenarios and that is when small business matters. So whenever you hear of corporate tax rates take into consideration that does not include small business.
Comment by Dennis Etnier -
Obama:
I hate to see what he and his wife will do for the rest of AMERICA..after they have over taxed and run ILL into the ground.
Why hasn’t anyone ever talked or told anyone about this man and his wife being a hater of AMERICA and its people?
This is a sad day for AMERICA.
Comment by Harold -
Pingback: Obama & Entrepreneurshiphttp://blogmaverick.com/2008/11/08/pe-obamas-1st-big-mistake/trackback/ : Kentucky Startup Blog
“Not a single entrepreneur. Yes Warren Buffett started a business, but he will be the first to tell you that he “doesn’t do start ups”. Which means there isn’t a single person advising PE Obama that we know of that knows that its like to start and run a business in this or any economic climate.”
You want someone who knows about the “mobile phone software startup out of Carnegie-Melon”? Look right there on your list. At one of the nation’s most famous entrepreneurs. A man who started an internet software startup out of Stanford, survived the dot-com bubble, and rose to become one of the top companies in the nation?
How can call Warren Buffet the only plausible entrepreneur on the list? Do you know anything, anything at all, about Eric Schmidt or Google? Or are you so interested in complaining that the facts don’t really matter?
From MC>
Eric was hired by Google, he was not a founder. He was brought in to be CEO. His history is as a corporate exec prviously at Sun and Novell among others
Comment by Adrian -
I don’t think you want to include Granholm in your list of great minds. The woman who has run her state into worst unemployment in the country at nearly 10%, who in the past has led Michigan into being the only state in the country in a recession, who championed raising taxes on small businesses and start ups as her plan to turn around the state economy? I’m happy because we may finally be getting rid of her but dismayed at the damage she may cause on the rest of the country. Obama instantly lost a lot of credibility with that pick with anyone from MI.
Comment by Mark -
Mark,
Although I disagreed with your endorsement of PE Obama, I agree with your assessment of the economic team. I’m afraid this is the first in a long line of disappointing actions from PE Obama when it comes to economic problems.
Comment by TC -
First thing he might want to do is take a look see at tying the minimum wage to the cost of living… it is, after all, one of the big factors in our current economic mess, and we’ve still got round three ahead of us next summer, ready to throw a kink in whatever recovery plan he comes up with.
Second, he might want to take another look at the tax thing. People usually get paid by employers, and taxing employers more tends to effect employees in there pocketbooks. He might need to get on board with the idea that any costs added to corporations tend to get passed to consumers (its thing trickle down thing, you understand…)
And for last, the best advice: Remember the story about the turtle and the hare.
Comment by Big Al -
The choice of the economic phalanx behind Obama was equally about advice AND mktg w/the latter = the news reporting their collective credentials. What entrepeneur/small biz owner has the cachet & merit to be on that dais. While there may not have been entrepeneurs or sm biz owners in the strictest sense, I think their perspectives are not absent. I think it infinitely more problematic that no one present came up thru the labor movement.
Comment by Angela E. Taylor -
Pingback: theceodaily.com» Morning Update » November 10, 2008
Pingback: Think Big Start Small by
Jeezus F**ing Christ, why not wait until he is actually in office before wearing his a$$ out? Bush dug this hole for 8 yrs and not a word from you about him and then you turn on obama in less than a week? get real. Also, it seems like you might want to comment on MLB telling you to stay away from the Cubs or are you too scared they will punish you? some “maverick”, whatever happened to “no balls no babes” or whatever your motto was?
Comment by luke -
Speaking as a person who has been on the receiving end of companies not hiring employees but contractors to avoid paying for insurance and etc and etc I am certainly glasd someone spokek out about this subject matter.
However, maybe we are not fully processing what is being set up. Let me explain in war you et up buffer zones for long protracted battles towards a successful war win. Could thi steam be that a buffer zone?
I am not saying a buffer zone in that the resulting talks or advisory stuff is not taken seriously but buffer zone in the sense in that more than one avenue of attack towards solving the economic mess?
Leader of the Federal Reserve is already picked , no battle there. I just wonder if we are missing something.
Good news is I found something almost at zero costs as far as start up idea, if I can keep rent paid for so many months to get it developed. Mark, you would love the way this is boot strapped.
Comment by Fred Grott -
Pingback: Between the Lines mobile edition
excellent……
Comment by money magnet -
Hey Mark, two notes:
1) Good point. Entrepreneurship is a special “cup of tea.” It’s not for everyone. Doing something even though others think it’s crazy (or especially because others think it’s crazy) takes… a little be of outlandish thinking… and those that haven’t had a full cup of this special bug don’t know what it really means. It’s like coaching/talking about swimming without ever taking a dip. Obama needs a someone with grasp of “small business” realities. Hope he does.
2) I love that we’re holding him accountable right from the get go. I was/am a strong proponent of Barack Obama, as are millions of others. And as the people who put this intelligent man into office, it is our responsibility to hold him accountable. I think he’ll do a much better job being kept on his toes than being relaxed.
Comment by Melvin Ram -
I love your blog..i’m reading news everytime and i see what happen next of this country..one sentence
BRING THE OTHER COUNTRY IN US OR BRING THIS COUNTRY IN THERE COUNTRY IN SHORT THIS COUNTRY
WILL LIKE A PUPPY.I HOPE THAT CAN’T BE HAPPEN, ITS INSULT,MAKES ALL PEOPLE DRAG INTO THE GROUND
HIS GOOD FOR SPEECH BUT WHEN IT COMES TO HOLD THE BIG POWERFUL COUNTRY HE COULD NOT DO THAT
PRESIDENT NEEDS A BIG BRAIN NOT DAMB BRAIN.BUSINESSES PEOPLE ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE
THAT HOLDS THE COUNTRY.I DON’T KNOW I’M NOT HAPPEN WHAT HAPPENING OF THIS COUNTRY…SAD TO
KNOW WHAT THE FEATURES OF OUR KIDS…ALL DAMN,FULL OF SHIT…LIES..ETC.
Comment by davidzann -
Glad my friend sent me the link to this article…
The practical solution to this issue would be for Obama to bring a senior venture capitalist to his advisory board. This is the only practical way to tap into the entrepreneurial community, while not subjecting himself to the political risk of hiring someone like “joe the plumber”
RS
Comment by Ron -
That’s because most private small business owners are too busy to waste our time dealing with Washington. We don’t have big money to donate, our lobbyists are mainly idiots looking out for their own best interests and in my opinion, we are also community organizers who got Obama where he is today.
I’m looking forward to seeing what happens over the next 4 years and personally, I think his policies will help my small business more than hurt it.
Comment by averageuscitizen -
Seriously, Did you all here what he said…He is not making any decisions yet because he is not the president yet and can not do anything until he takes office in January..You all need to wake up and see this man is gathering information from various parts of business and I thing this is one big giant pill he will swallow when he takes office in January..He has to take on the problems that GWB made a mess with . And the guy from Google is an entrapreneur..Also can we focus on another thing has anyone noticed that oil is coming down (now that George and Dick made a ton of cash from it being so high) he is getting out of office and its going down…huh..It has to go up again if you follow economics carefully…The real problem is People always look to blame others for their mistakes and look for a single person to fix their problems..he will always have to get things passed in the senate an the House..and just because they are democrats don’t bet on it..There a too many fights to go on and a war to be won , housing to be fixed and too many people don’t understand how to do this…You can not do it overnight or perhaps even in 4 years..we did not get into this mess overnight…just ask greenspan..it was a Tsunami…it was coming for many years..I work the market daily…But this is just my opinion…people need to take quit relying on OBama to fix the economy in one quick swoop of his magic presidential wand and take responsibility for their mistakes and move on..families and friends need to pull together and help one another, yes , I have, and Breathe a sigh of relief that we no longer need to worry that Palin will become president anytime soon…Hey Mark, she is NOT a true Maverik!…A glorified beauty pageant winner who moved to Alaska , where at the time no one wanted to be Governor…So seriously..She does not even know what a doctrine is..and as for foreign policy: “Russia is my Neighbor”, idiot..the Republicans threw her to the dogs…Mccain needed a better candidate for VP to win..Sorry if I ruffled feathers but I want people to really understand, this did not happen overnight so do not expect obama to fix it in the near future…just play nice with each other..help your families..The government is not going to play nice …PS: all these bailouts that Bush is doing will make taxes go up..this will not be obamas fault..The Government keeps bailing out all these companies using our tax dollars and these companies are losing money left and right…Seriously, BAD MANAGEMENT! How many times do we need to bailout the automakers and AIG what a joke asking for more money…It almost makes me want to run for a political office so I at least have a larger voice then just (no offense Mark ) Marks blog…thanks for your time..
Comment by mary -
Entrepreneurs with a stake should write in letters. This is a democratic system. We shouldn’t have to request that the people share their point of view- it’s one of the foundations of our system of government.
Comment by Lucid Lunatic -
I dont have to be an astronaut to know what it takes to be one. You want all kinds of ppl in teh grp. that is *not* possible dude.
Comment by celebsip -
Although funding the SBA is a good start to get money back into the system for entrepreneurs, but again it is another government organization that has a lot of red tape. Private organizations are the only way to fund these new businesses quickly and efficiently.
Keep up the good work
Comment by 4theboyz -
That is a real valid point. He has no economic standing nor do his people. What have here are millinoaires who aren’t fully impacted by what is going on. They also have no idea how the regular person works.
Asking for volunteers is a good idea, but the braintrust will squash like that old bankers do in those Washington Mutual Commercials.
I only hope they see that a small business person is like a worker working 6 days a week and barely making enough to make ends meet.
mntaxi.wordpress.com
Comment by Tom Peters -
Create the blog that will get read by Barack Obama, his team of advisors and a lot of the entrepreneurs starting their businesses so there can be a dialog to solve the issues we all face. It’s always easy being to be an armchair quarterback!
Comment by reykool -
I happen to think this won’t be such a big mistake but what I’m commenting for
is that if I hear or read “Joe the plumber” one more time I’m gonna strangle somebody. I’m going to reach into the TV, computer, radio, or whatever and squeeze the life out of them. Joe was a fraud. I know it doesn’t matter but hearing those three words makes me ill.
Comment by Bill -
Pingback: Behind the scenes on election night and what now? » The Sly Oyster | culture & entertainment on the sly » Blog Archive
Right-on— the small business enterprises is key in the drive for creating real income for the people of this nation. The small business enterprises are home based and create the best opportunity for expansion of national production and circulation of incomes within this country. It is also the source for greater re-investment. Mr. Obama must determine how he will reach this particular segment and how labor will be inclusive in his economic formula. Looking at most on this conversation board—it is probably too early to say—uncle in this matter.
The appearance of those architects of the Clinton surplus have returned but what happened in Clinton era politics may not be easy to duplicate because much of the expanded housing, section 8 Hud subsidies which led to construction boons are under attack because of the down side to this type of expansion [i.e. explosive inflations due to over priced assets; problems and criticism of Fannie Mae and government mortgage projects] fueled the housing segment of the economy. It is true that the mortgage prime and reshuffling of commercial paper was a culprit and become the basic scapegoat but the expansion was along side a large and expansive debt.
It may be an understatement to assert that only Joe the plumber understand small businesses. There are many accounts who handle small business problems everyday and those pencil pushers know the problems inside and out. We probably would be better served to talk openly about various concern and switch the inter-net chatter to solutions for small business looking at their problems. A Ralph Nader would have been good among his economic advisors. We the people should set up our own inter-exchanges about the creation of new pockets of wealth in this country. The intellectual property water logs an patent problems which exist should be targeted. Bring attention to the new contractors running the patent show. I think the key to understanding whether Mr. Obama has made the error already being attributed to him is when we look at his planners coupled with their budgetary proposals. This will tell us something about his overall vision for America and its rebirth and growth.
Understanding that the president is just the primary leader of this nation, we should work as hard to make this the nation where opportunity is real and comes from every effort with in our ranks. This pose a challenge to the small business to define new products and place their bids for funds to create these products. If the budgets provide for these new products and some of these funding are coupled with larger works programs ties to creating new infrastructure in this country we will stimulate the real wealth among the citizens of this county. The creation of real incomes must be tied to visions of citizens and must find the nation collective effort in making these things happen just like these collective efforts made the election of Mr. Obama happen. “Yes we can” will now be tested and it is far to early to say “HE” has failed “WE” Keep talking and thinking it is healthy to believe and create the visions necessary to climb out of this debtor mentality.
Comment by kink9570 -
That’s the point conservatives have been trying to get through to all the Obama fanatics but no one would listen. The good news is that at least half of the population is prepared. The rest of you are in for a great big reality check (which can’t be cashed!)
Comment by Sam -
As usual, a maverick.
I am sure that none of the people you listed
(since you do think before you write),
do not know a single person with a startup, nor
have they invested a penny in any startups.
Too bad, I thought most of the people listed had money to invest in
people with good ideas. What a waste, glad you spent the time and money
to investigate the truth and spread it around.
The world is a better place now.
Comment by phreaki -
Pingback: Mark Cuban, Obama, Entrepreneurship
Mark,
He is open to suggestions, just post it here:
http://change.gov/page/s/yourvision
Comment by Bill -
Oh and P.S. Maybe you already are. Who knows…hopefully you already are. Either way, right on.
Comment by staybeautiful -
Mark,
Good read and insight, but you have both power and money, which means you’re in a position to actually contact someone (or contact someone who can contact someone) to get this into Obama’s ears. Talking about it on the blog is nice and all, but why don’t you just reach out to those who really need to be told?
My $0.02
– sb
Comment by staybeautiful -
Some of you guys don’t understand how smart Barrack Obama is. He has run one of the best presidency campaigns in history. The republicans for the first time in a very very long time were out spent because PE Barack was able to raise a TON of money, NO, not from thousands of rich supporters but from millions of small donations from Joe six-pack. His campaign was so successful and so consistent because of the discipline that HE required of his campaign staff, and also from the people he chose to run & manage his campaign.
Now do you think he won’t do the same with the country? PE Obama is a Harvard grad and so is Michelle Obama, and unlike BUSHY who also attended Yale and Harvard, when your not rich and your father isn’t the president, and when your black you have to earn your right to attend such schools and you have to earn your grade. Everybody can nick pick about whom he picked and this and that but do you really need a owner of a startup to know how to make conditions ideal to start a business? Do you really? And does one of the richest people in the world who has made his fortune by buying under valued companies and tinkering a little with and making them even more successful not qualify for someone who knows what needs to be done to help business owners?
Barack’s patriotism was questioned during the campaign, but I question everybody that’s hoping he fucks up the country (if that’s even possible) more so then it already is. SMH
Comment by bjgriner -
Pingback: Mark Cuban Says Obama’s Economic Advisory Team is Missing Entrepreneurs : tinyComb
Comment by vapalla — November 9, 2008 @ 10:50 am
Vapalla, I never said the quote you attributed to me, and my lemonade response appears to have not made it into the comments.
I’m surprised this blog’s commenting section is so cumbersome and confusing to use.
Comment by alessandromachi -
Mark, you are on point in noting the advisors and lack thereof at this first press conference. The next indication will be his response to the bailout of the auto industry. If there is any support for this then his presidency is doomed to failure. If this occurs and I expect it will, then, Mark as an entrepreneur in Texas, you should contact Ron Paul and lead your readers to a political entreprenurial revitalization based on the principles of liberty and constitutional government.
The time to grab this opportunity is now. PE Obama should have a very short leash to show what his definition of change is really all about.
Comment by Ralph Harrison -
It makes sense to me that attention needs to be paid to entrepreneurs (I’m one of them). However, entrepreneurial savvy doesn’t imply macro-finance savvy. Furthermore, entrepreneurs have a greater ttendency to live in a world bounded by their immediate needs and fears, in contrast to the Buffetts and Gateses of the world (who have no interest in government leadership). I suspect that a card carrying member of the dismal science–with an understanding of global issues and a history in the field–will still do the best for us.
Comment by Dan Erwin -
Nice idea but methinks it is mutually exclusive. Seems like any REAL entrepreneur would be too busy running his business to serve of Obama’s counsel/cabinet.
Comment by rob b -
Well said, my friend. I’m definitely wanting to back our new President, but I would be much more comfortable seeing the man represent ‘all of us’, like he addressed in his acceptance speech.
Mike
Comment by mikeangelo -
Mark a great point for sure, but perhaps instead of a single person
this would be a great way to test some innovation – why not try to
crowdsource some advice from “relevant” voices and niches within
the internet industry. Obviously Obama can’t plow through thousands
of blog posts, emails, etc, but couldn’t an approach like Gabe Rivera’s
http://www.TechMeme.com be used to filter content such that the CTO and Pres could
immediately put their finger on the pulse?
This administration will be the first to be truly comfortable with
all aspects of the online world. I hope they put that to very good
use.
Comment by JoeDuck -
Mark,
Excellent point. It’s always a bunch of “thinkers” telling us how to do it and they ahve never done it themselves. They have never had the seat cushion buckled worried about losing it all or making the next sale. They have had cushy jobs with a regular salary and benefits.
Comment by Burt -
J.H., if you can’t figure out that being on the “right” or “wrong” track
has to do with more than simply the degree of regulation in our capital
markets, then I’m not going to waste my time trying to explain it to you.
Comment by Matt Bilinsky -
I’m in Chicago, I’m a good Democrat – I’ll volunteer to step up and serve. 🙂
Comment by resim -
I agree with this. I think it’s particularly important because a lot of people are being pushed into starting their own businesses to survive, since the corporate job structure is completely falling apart and there are becoming less and less places to work.
Comment by patricia -
Oh, great! Now that Obama is PE for a few days we are already looking for what he is doing wrong. Seems to be in the nature of the beast … I don’t think we can draw conclusions from who he picks for his advisory team to how he is going to handle the economic crisis at hand. What does that have to do with asking ‘real-time’ entrepreneurs for what they need? Joe the Plumber is probably busy with running his business and has no time for politics.
If you want to be part of the team, why not just ask for the job?
Comment by karin -
wow! i must say i’m impressed with some of the idiocy posted here! i didn’t think it was actually possible to be so open minded that your brains actually DO fall out, but now i’m convinced! lol you really think, Matt, that socialism is the SOLUTION to our country’s problems?? socialistic, not CAPITALISTIC programs are what started this mess many years ago and we would have sunk into the depths of never had it not been for the small businesses (growing into large businesses) making this country in the world! why do you think so many people flock into our country (legally and illegally)? to get a piece of the ‘socialist pie’? ok.. maybe lately, but our forefathers and mothers came here because America was the Land of OPPORTUNITY! the only place in the world where you could literally start with nothing and make a comfortable life for your family. these small businesses are the backbone of America, and as long as we are a capitalist society, it will so remain.
the private sector needs to be applauded, celebrated, AND represented! Mark is right-on on this!
Comment by Tad Taylor -
well, he did say he’d listen to what the people have to say.
So tell him how you feel about his cabinet.
Comment by njgarrod -
Mark,
The best thing Obama can do to help the US Economy and world is to STAY OUT OF THE ECONOMY!
Anytime we have the government involvement in things it gets totally mucked up.
Comment by heavystarch -
As a republican, I am embarrased to read some of the comments
that I have seen here.
I sure hope that Mr.Cuban can comment on such writings, This is
the time to solve problems,not put stones in the path of the new
President. Disregarding what our differences are, Aren’t we all
Americans? Don’t we all want to see this country come back
and create a great economy? Or are we the party of the people
that would rather cut off our noses in order to spite our faces?
I cannot believe in the pettiness of many comments. They are in
my book “unamerican”.
Comment by rker321 -
I am at a complete loss for why he selected Jennifer Granholm. Talk about running the state of Michigan into ruin.
Comment by Josh -
Thank you for waiting until after the election to criticize Obama. He’s wrong on so much (especially economically, read Blueprint for America on barrackobama.com, I’ll be posting my analysis very soon) but he’s by far the best choice imo.
To mobilejones:
>>>”The SBA has been starved in the last 8 years. Increased funding and
incentives for these business loans is, to your point, fueling the
engine of recovery.”
Bureaucracy is not the answer, it creates economic friction.
To tad_taylor:
>>>”there is now NO money for people to start a small business. i know. i’ve looked. the banks are unwilling to even talk to someone who doesn’t already have the capital and the private investors are too afraid to take the chance..”
There is plenty of VC money still being thrown around, if you don’t have the cred to hook it up then shoestring it until you do.
The two main causal factors of the current economic climate are: bureaucracy and the “walled garden” business model. Basically, we are spending a relatively greater and greater amount of resources on self-perpetuating systems of bureaucracy and on trying to protect market share by erecting barriers to entry. Both of these things discourage competition and innovation.
One of my personal favorite economic philosophers, Joseph Schumpeter “argued that the innovation and technological change of a nation comes from the entrepreneurs, or wild spirits. He coined the word Unternehmergeist, German for entrepreneur-spirit. He believed that these individuals are the ones who make things work in the economy of the country.” (Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Schumpeter)
I agree wholeheartedly.
Right now the resources (human and capital) of this country are disabled. Obama needs to focus on policy that empowers our resources to operate at full capacity. Specifics will be outline on forthcoming post on my blog prfx.wordpress.com
Easy.
Comment by prfx -
Mark, are you vying for a position amongst this advisory team? I’m
not saying you wouldn’t be a good choice… but that sure would stick
it to Major League Baseball (I’m a Mavericks and Cubs fan).
Comment by jordan -
Pingback: PE Obama’s economic advisers. « Not PC.
To Neil, from way up above. (Nov-8. 6:29pm)
Except Barack Obama never seems to make money or grow a business, Barack Obama just seems to be around where the money is, public money with his hand in it.
http://www.DailyPUMA.com
Comment by Alessandro Machi -
Mark,
good point. it’s important that entrepreneurs as well as
social entrepreneurs (http://bit.ly/32XP) be represented in Team Obama.
~C
Comment by c4chaos -
Pingback: Mark Cuban’s message to the President-Elect - Nitin Badjatia
Thanks for sharing Mark.
i understand your point, and it is an important one. entrepreneurship
is the new lifeblood of any economy.
however, in these early stages i think you need to look at the
crisis through the lens of priorities.
the first and most important issue is confidence. without confidence,
the arteries for credit will remain clogged up.
i don’t think anyone is pretending this is not theatrics.
posturing and positioning. it clearly is. however, in reality obama
can’t do anything. and politically he’ll take advantage of this.
regretfully, political motives will ensure — the democratic party
will hold on (and wait for the market to bottom out) and most
importantly — pass the crisis off as bush’s final fcuk-up. positioning of blame — is crucial.
blame is crucial.
Comment by ray -
Sounds like a job application. Looking for a new gig?
Obama hasn’t overlooked small businesses. His economic plan includes
increased funding for the SBA. These type businesses create many
more jobs than the tech industry’s venture-entrepreneur circle. These
jobs are also less susceptible to outsourcing and insourcing that is rampant in
the tech industry.
The SBA has been starved in the last 8 years. Increased funding and
incentives for these business loans is, to your point, fueling the
engine of recovery.
Comment by mobilejones -
I believe that even if he didnt have one.That Obama will face each
problem one at a time.Not just for people that are poor but for people
like joe the plumber,that run there own business.joe the plumber is not
the only one trying to run a small business.We also have a small business
Ecommerceforeveryone.com Even if its a on line business we do have
expense just like every other small company.We elected for Obama
because the economy is in a crisis along with everything else,that
concerns Americans.
Comment by yari -
Pingback: President Elect Barack Obama - Page 18 - BuckeyePlanet Ohio State Forums
Mark, you think MI Governor Jennifer Granholm is a good addition to this team? She has single handedly run MI into the ground. You’re a businessman Cuban, would you hire her to make your coffee? I think not.
Comment by eslindsey -
Regarding Obama and the lemonade stand analogy, doesn’t Barack want to “spread the lemonade” or more accurately, doesn’t he want to redestribute the profits made from the lemonade stands?
Comment by Silver Fox -
What came first, the chicken or the egg? Yes, startups and small businesses are what this country is going to need to get out of the mess were in BUT startups and small businesses are going to need capital to get that done. It’s a big fat economy catch 22. I have started a few businesses and I’m in the middle of starting one right now. Huge uphill battle, growing at a snail’s pace because we don’t have the capital to be where we need to be and private investors are nowhere to be found. We will be fine, we will grow eventually. Unfortunately because of our slow growth rate we will be contributing nothing to make our economy better. I don’t know if there is a solution, maybe no solution is the solution! Maybe we simply need to weed out the weak, take our lumps and move on.
Comment by Shawn Shepherd -
I’m glad someone else is on the same page. I had a similar thought this morning. Submit your ideas to change.gov.
Comment by Jacqueline L. Jones -
Alessandro said
“good thing Obama had the whole democratic infrastructure behind him as from day one and didn’t have to create an organization and brand image from scratch. Yep, clueless.”
No he didn’t at first, it was all Hillary’s to win/lose. Obama came up with a farsighted plan and stuck to it even when he was told it wasn’t workable, and following his plan he won the Primaries and then the election. He’s good at seeing the big picture and the steps to get there. The job fixing the economy is a huge task and you are already nitpicking and complaining about an administration that hasn’t even been launched yet.
Comment by vapalla -
Pingback: Obama sale a reclutar a Sillicon Valley - Foros de CHW
Interesting point of view and it has a lot of merit.
The economy needs to be rebuilt from the ground up. Up
to now, the focus has been on the top down (remember “trickle
down” economics? Thank you, Ron Reagan.)
Comment by nikonicus -
This is only the first of PE Obama’s decisions that you will disagree
with in the coming years. I am amazed at the blind faith some of
your readers have that this man is going to suddenly change the way
things are done in Washington. If you really wanted “Change” you
should have voted every single incumbent out of office regardless
of their party. If we do that every two years for the next six
years we might have a chance. Otherwise, it will be the same old
story with lobbyists and special interests making the real decisions
just like always.
Comment by MickeyG -
Dude, you’re absolutely spot-on.
Comment by ideas insights innovations -
The phrase “get our country back on track” used by so many who are
enthusiastic Obama supporters seems to me to be a curious one. What
“track” did we get derailed from in the first place? Wasn’t it a
national ethic of individual self-sufficiency and a free market
capitalism that made America an economic powerhouse and
gave us a standard of living beyond the dreams of most of the rest of
the world?
If so, the advent of the Great Society programs and the ensuing
creeping socialism is then the “derailing” so often mentioned, and a
return to a less paternalistic government and a more capitalistic
economic system the way to get “back on the tracks”. Do those Obama
supporters who applaud his expressed determination to plunge ahead
still further in the direction we have been headed for the last 40
years really believe this represents a RETURN to the right track?
It is ironic that while this country has shown support for these
kinds of programs even as our economy and social climate continues to
degenerate, emerging economic powerhouses such as China(of all
countries!)are moving in the opposite direction. How can this be?
Don’t these hopelessly backward countries know the way to prosperity
lies in increasing, not decreasing, socialism?
way to increasing prosperity lies in increasing socialistic policies,
not eliminating them?
prosperity
direction
opposite direction
Comment by J.H. -
The only jolt to the economy and quick fix that they have discussed are government jobs. None of those help the dealerships, plumbers or software salesman. It helps out T . boone pickens whom gets 25thousand workers to build hid government subsidized wind farms but no one else.
Comment by KK -
“Wisdom, not intellect, tells most anyone that a guy that came from Marxist parents, identifies and associates with domestic terrorists, belongs to a America/White hating church for 20 years, and has a wife that’s never been proud of America before nominating her husband… suggests he might be something more than a liberal. Listen to the 2nd part of the WBEZ interview, where he suggests post-war America is comparable to Nazi Germany.”
Some absolutely brilliant people comment here…
He won, friend. Get over it. Find some new talking points, maybe?
Comment by QuakerDave -
You might enjoy this: http://ooezone.wordpress.com/2008/11/09/pick-up-ball-just-got-a-little-more-interesting-at-the-white-house/
Comment by coopjmz -
Yeah. You’re right. We need people that are intensely self-interested to manage the direction of the
entire economy. Good idea.
Look.
I like entrepreneurs as much as the next guy. They are important to the economy and often create jobs.
I wouldn’t let one touch the gears that control the economy, not even you, Mark. In America, making
money is very different than creating the environment where everyone can make money. We don’t need
risk takers, we need people that can captain a ship steadily. Let the risk takers gamble their own coin.
I’ll take 10 people who understand macroeconomics every day of the week.
Comment by Frank -
Mark,
I sincerely beg to differ on your point here. I think you are wrong here. You fail to see the Entrepreneur in Barack. He Engineered his triumph in true Entrepreneurial style. From researching the market to understanding the ecosystem, from understanding his customers (voters) to adapting his pitch. He created a Business plan, a product, pitched it & delivered on it to reach his goal of attaining the presidency of the United States. You can’t top that Mark.
Being Entrepreneurial is not always about starting a business that realizes a product that will be sold to get $’s. Being Entrepreneurial is about setting goals, understanding what you need to accomplish to get to your goals, adapting as the eco-system shifts and reaching that goal no matter what.
Comment by Deepak Das -
Excellent!
As an entrepreneur we really have to get into the minds of our clients
and truly understnad their needs and even wants. Academics miss this
time and time again. That is what led us into the finacial mess.
A bunch of MBA’s and PHD’s trying to make easy money.
Do these people really give a rat’s ass about what’s it like to get
suckered into buying a home they can’t afford, and then left homeless
with their kids? Can this team kneel down to that level? Hell no.
Comment by Terry -
Sure, the U.S. economy is in a deep crisis, let’s get some advise from the biggest money burners of all, a bunch of sillicon valley “entrepeneurs” start up blah blahs.
lol
Comment by Microkid -
Facts: Barack Obama is a millionaire through his own efforts
and hard work (unlike John McCain who married into money
by cheating on his first wife).
Fact: Barack Obama assembled a team composed of young
“political entrepreneurs” that reinvented the mature product
category of politics, getting $600 million of “revenue” from
4 million “customers”. By contrast, the McCain campaign
had to rely on fat-cat donors.
Comment by Charles -
Entrepreneurship certainly is important to an economy, but it is not a complete solution.
What is really needed is a change in economic thinking among the general public. We need to end our
spending habits of instant gratification through the use of credit cards and loans. Our Puritan ancestors
had the right ideas about self-discipline when it comes to economic matters. Let me introduce you to
some Puritan phrases that need to be brought back into vogue : “Waste not want not” “A penny saved is
a penny earned” “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”
I suggest that you all visit your local library or do an internet search for Ben Franklin’s “Poor Richard’s
Almanac.
We all saw what a failure last summers tax rebate was in trying to jump start the economy through spending.
We cannot spend our way out of this recession. The time has come for us to pay off our debts and become
a nation of savers. It is truly amazing to see how compound interest can give you economic peace of mind.
What the Obama administration will need to do is to make all interest earned on savings non taxable, and encourage
the financial institutions, banks and credit unions, to offer more attractive interest rates on savings.
Ultimately, the economy is the responsibility of everyone of us. So start saving those pennies and waste not
want not.
Comment by Wayne -
Alright then. Who’s the biggest entrepreneur in America?
Comment by Mike Abundo -
Give the guy a chance, man. He ain’t even POTUS yet.
Everybody is so eager to see how he is going to handle
everything. He can’t do nothing yet but build up some hype
so the markets rally and I can get my losses back.
Comment by gcedwards -
In an earlier blog you proudly told us all that the deciding factor in your voting decision was race (“Proud To Be An American” posted on 11/5) and now you are blogging to complain about the economic decisions of the guy you voted for before he even officially takes over. Maybe the title of this blog should be focused on your mistake, not Obama’s… “My first big mistake – I voted for the wrong guy for the wrong reason”.
Comment by Randy -
Bravo Mark! Your post is brilliant! I’ve been waiting for someone to take notice of this one element in the whole picture that everyone seems to be ignoring in the whole bailout/save the economy drama, which is the entrepreneurs and small business! Without us the economy has no foundation to stand on!
Comment by brittanyflowers -
Good point. You should offer up your services. You and president Obama can exchange ideas inbetween drives to the bucket. Seriously, this may be a simple oversight but I believe would be of great value this our future ecomonic strategy. What the hell is going on with the Cub deal. I read that the MBL owners would never approve a deal involving you.
Comment by donw -
Obama has never had a private sector job in his life.
Why is it so surprising that he has no respect for the private sector?
Comment by Eric -
Pingback: Obamanomics: Cuban No Likey, Chicago School All Over It? « Campus Entrepreneurship
Patrick Henry, quite the unwise man in this discussion. You can continue living in the 50s and use scare-tactic terms like ‘Marxism’. In all reality, Obama can only afford to lead ad a moderate. Any extreme tactics will continue to pull the country apart.
Like it or not, he is by far the best leader for this country, with the best support team imaginable.
Comment by JC -
Mark, sounds like a great suggestion.
Why don’t you or a few guys organize a meeting yourself?
Make it viewable on the web (you kind of monetized that capability if
I recall). See if the group’s recommendations draw attention.
Comment by S. Neil Vineberg -
Mark is correct that Obama’s failure to include a soup to nuts
entrepreneur is an oversight, but I believe that to use that to
conclude that he does not understand the importance of entrepreneurship
to the American economy is a logical leap. Many of his causes that he
holds near and dear (such as green tech) innately require entrepreneurship.
Obama has shown himself to be sensitive to and aware of all factors of
our economic situation and I sincerely doubt entrepreneurship is any
exception. His current team is reflection of the macro-economic
problems that currently plagued us and I’m sure his advisory team
will evolve and grow quickly.
And a Note to all you who want to make a mountain out of a molehole
and use Mark’s point to resurrect the absurd “socialist” arguments
or that Obama is economically inept: Enjoy basking in your paranoia
and pigheadedness while the rest of us our busy getting this country
back on track.
Comment by Matt Bilinsky -
Not necessarily true. Entrepreneurs would create companies anyway. Good times or bad.
Comment by von -
Mark, Of course he hasn’t any entrepreneurs aboard, he’s a (covert) marxist.
Wisdom, not intellect, tells most anyone that a guy that came from Marxist parents, identifies and associates with domestic terrorists, belongs to a America/White hating church for 20 years, and has a wife that’s never been proud of America before nominating her husband… suggests he might be something more than a liberal. Listen to the 2nd part of the WBEZ interview, where he suggests post-war America is comparable to Nazi Germany.
I suspect Obama’s version of Clintons would be “There is nothing right with America, that can fix what’s wrong with America”.
Comment by Patrick Henry -
Acai: It’s not going to help the American balance of trade or employmehnt indices if small businesses function as fronts for run-away shops. We have to make a distinction between entenpreneurialism (new ideas that create jobs here) and quick kills.
Comment by Joel Sax -
So name some names and submit them.
Comment by Joel Sax -
Great insight. Entrepreneurs definitely bring innovation to the world.
Comment by Matt -
You mean he didn’t try to select a person who was out trying to
change the world by selling ads on an instant-messaging dog-food
deliver system with instant one-click bus ticket ordering? Oh, my.
Comment by MJK -
Here’s my take. Neither Obama or McCain have the where with all to fix this mess. In fact, if I were McCain, I would be thanking God that I didn’t get elected. I think that Obama will only lat 4 years. It will get exponentially worse, which will set the pace for a great leader to come to the ranks and lift us out.
Comment by Steve Wulf -
Eric Schmidt was something like the 20th person hired by Google.
So I’d call him something of an entrepreneur. A successful one, at that.
Comment by Mike -
I agree Mark, this administration needs to help small businesses,
not penalize them. During the campaign I heard a lot of stuff
like penalizing small businesses for hiring overseas, raising taxes
on small businesses. If you want to hit Chevron or Exxon with that
kind of stuff go ahead and do it, but Obama needs to realize that
this is no time to penalize small businesses when most are struggling
just to make payroll right now.
Comment by Acai -
Amen, Mark. You couldn’t have said that any better!
Comment by Stinger -
The unions greatly helped get Obama elected so I think that there is little hope.
Comment by no-limp -
I have to support Publius’s comment on this one Mark, it really seems like
you’re stretching too far to make an iconoclastic talking point.
How about this:
What makes big businesses happy, makes small businesses happy.
This is one case where I have to assert that trickle-down economics
works.
When big businesses become happy, they’ve got lots of cash to invest.
Similar with banks. Guess who gets that cash? We do, as cheap loans
and loads of investment capital.
I’d rather go through proper business channels for financing than wrestle with any type of
government handout crap. I’ll take a 2% lower interest rate on an SB loan any day
over having to do a tax credit dance to recoup the difference.
Your mileage may vary, and hey, it’s not as interesting an article
if you just agree with his appointments, right?
Comment by Jim B. -
I’m right here in Chicago, so if he needs someone, I am available.
I don’t know how to reach him personally, so I submit my name here.
But I didn’t go to Harvard, though a couple of buildings on my campus
had moss on them…
mp/m
Comment by Mike Maddaloni - The Hot Iron -
Alessandro,
Wow – in your story Obama creates employment for 3 people allowing him to spend most of his time with customers drumming up repeat business, and probably using his salesmanship to get people into a frenzy about how much the world needs more lemonade.
Obviously an example of someone clueless about entrepreneurship.
Also, good thing Obama had the whole democratic infrastructure behind him as from day one and didn’t have to create an organization and brand image from scratch. Yep, clueless.
Comment by Neil -
You are so right! No one from government pays much attention to entrepreneurs until AFTER they are worth billions. And yet those of us in the trenches are creating all the jobs. Perhaps if we re-tweet, digg, and reblog this enough it will come to his attention. WHy not post it to chnge.gov?
Comment by francine hardaway -
I think you’re off base on this one, Mark. This economic crisis is not caused by the lack of entrepreneurs or lack of small business activity. Work and value creation is not the issue. Credit is. Because of this NO business expansion can proceed unless there is a sound basis for credit. This means the Mark Zuckerbergs of the world won’t be able to solve it. This requires high level strategic thinking from the old hats who’ve seen it before (Paul Volcker) or from guys who take the 50,000 foot view (Larry Summers or Warren Buffett). Fixing the international banking system is a bit different from monetizing pokes on Facebook. This isn’t a job for everyman/everywoman just as the presidency isn’t either. What insight would your hypothetical event planner in Dallas or mobile phone startup bring in addressing the crisis in banking? Do they even know what a credit derivative is? Macroeconomics? Monetary policy? Look its cute to bring up all these working class examples to make your point but advice without insight or understanding belongs in the gutter. If Joe the Plumber wants a seat at the table he needs to be versed in these things the way Warren Buffett is. Look we all support entrepreneurs and wish them the best but I’m sure those entrepreneurs want to do what they are doing now–running their businesses, not sit on advisory boards. Let the technocrats and policy wonks deal with the devilish details.
Comment by Publius -
Pingback: Mark Cuban on Obama’s 1st Big Mistake… « Larry Boatright’s Blog
I’m trying to picture Barack Obama and his lemonade stand. I can see Barack Obama organizing the lemonade stand, gettin
one kid to get the lemons, another to squeeze them, a third to make the sign, and Barack in the background
talking to his customers as he shares a lemonade with them.
http://www.DailyPUMA.com
Comment by Alessandro Machi -
I’m in Chicago, I’m a good Democrat – I’ll volunteer to step up and serve. 🙂
Comment by Sachin Agarwal -
Mark,
Thank you so much for pointing out the fact that
Obama has not yet found or picked a “start-up” friendly
or knowledgeable adviser. {Yet}
Maybe we should let him know that he is missing a really
important link.
Joel Libava
The Franchise King Blog
Comment by Joel Libava -
You lost me at the first sentence…Whenever you hear that a politician is going to take on the economy, you know tough times are ahead.
Comment by Chris -
Great points mark, I am here with you. Until people have 100PCT of
their own ass on the line. The decision process is altered.
Comment by jubril58 -
Don’t you get the feeling that people like Obama have never created a
dollar of value in their entire life. I bet he never even had a
lemonade stand as a kid. We drive this country and then they want us
to carry it on our backs as well. I voted for Barack, yet I doubt that
my situation will be better in four years.
Comment by mp97303 -
oh.. one last thought. thanks to the ‘powers that be’, there is now NO money for people to start a small business. i know. i’ve looked. the banks are unwilling to even talk to someone who doesn’t already have the capital and the private investors are too afraid to take the chance.. not that i blame them. but the businesses run by individuals are coming to an abrupt end. if you are a current owner, you might have a chance, but new start-up? nope. not gonna happen. and little by little the small business owner will be weeded out either by legislation or government mandate, by taxation or by corporate squeeze. over taxation of the small business owner and NO taxation of large corporations, loopholes big enough to drive ships through and goverment pocketing of private monies… where does it end? all government, no people. our rights as ‘the people’ are being striken from every angle. it starts with the economy and trickles down to our bedrooms. don’t be shocked when George Orwell rises from his grave and shakes his finger in our collective faces. we were warned.. we were warned……
Comment by Tad Taylor -
Didn’t Obama have one of the founders of Facebook on his team?
Didn’t he also say that he would have a head of technology on his cabinet?
Fact is, it’s still too soon to know who will fill all positions.
Comment by JM -
um.. yes i’m having the same problem with the scrolling here.. and
YES… Ron Paul was our hope. sigh… we DID blow it!! but, i have to ask, what about the grassroots effort to start that ‘revolution’? still alive?? maybe there IS hope, afterall….
Comment by Tad Taylor -
i agree. entrepreneurs are what built this country to begin with and are what will keep it alive. i believe that Obamas’ overlooking someone with the know-how to introduce, produce, market, and successfully manage on the business level is disturbing. we need business sense that is not just taught from a book, but someone who actually has the seat-of-the-pants experience to contribute to this economic mess that we are in.
what is his actual agenda? his “proscectus”? a good business person would have this in place especially since this is part of his platform for election.
very good points!
Comment by Tad Taylor -
“Entrepreneurs that start and run small businesses will be the
propellant in this economy.”
I agree and I also agree that it is indeed a shame that Obama didn’t
choose any entrepreneurs to advise him.
But, honestly, have liberal Democrats ever been fond of
entrepreneurialism, as it fosters a sense of independence and tends to
make people less reliant on the government?
Comment by Jesse Hines -
Did anyone think it would go any other way? Oh yeah… the 4 million people who voted him over McCain. Oh well, I’m sure 8 years from now, we’ll be just fine as he hands the office over to Oprah.Ron Paul was the man and we ALL blew it!
Comment by Rich M -
for what it’s worth, I have trouble seeing what I am typing. The sentences start falling off the right side of the screen and then I have no way to scroll back to the left side of the screen. Anybody else having a problem?
Comment by Alessandro Machi -
I can see the headline now. Cuban proposes Joe the Plummer be added to Barack Obama’s Cabinet.
Excellent point you are making. But in an unintentional, backhanded way, are you calling Barack Obama “elitist”?
Or, perhaps the entrepreneurs are one tier down and we don’t see them in the background of the press conference,
but they are there in spirit, just one level down?
Comment by Alessandro Machi -