Politics | Mike McRitchie | Resume and LinkedIn Profile Writer | Telecom Marketing Content Writer

Trump…Hand Raised…Alone

August 7, 2015 by Mike McRitchie Leave a Comment

What does it mean? Trump refuses to take the Republican Pledge to support the eventual nominee and to not run as a 3rd party candidate.

Now if you watched the focus groups and post-debate commentary you’d think Trump had touched the 3rd rail of politics and deep six’ed his run for President.

And you’d expect that from Republican insiders and people who self-selected into Fox focus groups.

But is that the whole story?

Another way of looking at it is Trump raised his hand ALONE. He was the only one willing to do that. To stand up against the crowd. Against a hostile crowd. On National television…the largest audience in TV News History.

And doesn’t that make him more likely to be effective…

Against the “go-along” Republican establishment;
Against the influx of illegals at the border;
Against the Iranian Terrorist State;
Against the Russian expansionist tendencies;
Against China’s dominance of our financial affairs;
Against the anti-business government strangulation of small business
To return the United States to preeminent status in the world?

You know those are not going to be easy negotiations.

You know that the current crop of Republicans in Congress haven’t made an impact.

Trump stands alone. He takes the flak from all sides. And withstands it all and continues to grow in followers and voters.

And this is something that business owners like you need to know. Whether it is a strategy of preeminence, or better positioning, being bold and willing to stand alone for what you believe in is what separates the winners from everyone else.

And it gets you more press.

And it is admired by those who may not be willing or able to take that step themselves.

So when you’re looking at your business, what are you saving your customers from? What pain and suffering? What vision are you selling that they get excited about? Why are you different than the status quo or the industry insiders who are pedaling the same retread trash?

Make sure you’re different…in a good and powerful way. You need to make sure it fits your personality and that of your business. But then you need to drive that home. In your marketing. In your delivery. In every fiber of your business.

And when you do, you’ll see success unlike you’ve ever experienced.

Why Donald Trump Defies the Pundits

July 25, 2015 by Mike McRitchie Leave a Comment

So today I was watching “Gutfeld” on Fox News. Yes, for liberals that is the anti-Christ news media.

But tonight it is about DISAGREEING with Gutfeld, his sicophants, and the entire news media.

They just don’t get it…at all.

They were talking about the McCain comment by Trump about McCain not being a war hero.

It is not different than saying he hates Mexicans or immigrants.

What it comes down to is Trump just says what he thinks, hates people who criticize him, and just deals with it…albeit without a lot of tact (which of course everyone knows IS Donald Trump).

So that is why Trump can say what he thinks and not hurt his poll numbers.

It is about EXPECTATIONS -and everyone expects that kind of behavior from Donald Trump.

But that doesn’t explain why he is at the top of the polls.

That is a different, but at times related, reason.

Donald is vocal, opinionated, America-centric, and a hard negotiator who doesn’t play nice in the sandbox.

And that is what is so appealing to so many Americans. They’re tired of being the punching bag to the world (just as they were when Ronald Reagan was running for President).

They’re tired of political correctness. And bending over backward trying to not offend everyone from illegal aliens to terrorist to communist countries.

They’re tired of the media and government protecting their donors and special interest groups.

They’re tired of the government and the media trying to manipulate us.

They’re just fed up.

And although the current crop of Republican candidates are leaps and bounds ahead of Republican Presidential candidates of the past several elections, they still barely move the needle in terms of star power or interest to the public.

They play the same games by the same rules that past candidates have played. And as a result, they get little traction with the public. But Trump doesn’t. He plays by his rules.

So the funny thing to me is how the Republican party is reacting. They think they can control the rules. And to a certain extent they can. But if they think they can railroad Trump out of the race, they’re sadly mistaken.

He’s a solid negotiator – and keeping the “Third Party Option” alive gives him additional leverage with the Republican party. He’ll use that as a scorched earth policy either as a threat or a promise if they try to kick him to the curb without the public dumping him.

But it is funny that the news shows (minus Hannity) seem to think that one or two bad gaffes by Trump will ruin his chances and cause his poll numbers to plummet.

They’re sadly mistaken.

Will Trump win? Who knows. But at a minimum he is showing that his message hits home even if he’s not a perfect candidate.

And that brings me to a recent commercial I hear often on the radio that advertises for foster parents.

They give an example of a father who can’t throw the baseball, makes farting sounds at the dinner table, wears two socks of different colors…okay they had different examples. But the basic scenario is he sucks as a parental figure. He’s not all put together and awesome.

The tagline is “You don’t have to be a perfect person to be a perfect parent.”

And that is what I think hits home with Trump. He isn’t perfect. Not by a long shot. But he gets it. He believes a lot of what we believe. And he fights back. And that is what many Americans have been longing for. And as conservatives and hardworking Americans, Trump is that lightning rod that is needed.

Now I know it is easy to watch others fight the fight for us. And us to sit in our homes and watch them on TV. But are you fighting your own fight in the marketplace? Are your ideas getting out? Are you making human mistakes but pressing on? Or are you too worried about what others will think that you remain bland?

Food for thought…

Battle Over the Confederate Battle Flag…How Bold Are You?

July 10, 2015 by Mike McRitchie Leave a Comment

Now I’m not from “The South”. Unless California qualifies. And I don’t think any Southerners would support that.

So I’ve been thinking about the whirlwind around the symbolism of the Confederate Battle Flag. And how South Carolina removed it from their Capitol grounds today. And how golfer Bubba Watson was going to have it removed from the roof of the “General Lee” car from the “Dukes of Hazard” TV Show that he owns.

All in the name of removing something that could be deemed offensive.

Now I know that anyone who is going to do something as heinous as the murders in South Carolina will find whatever symbols or rationale to support their twisted ideas in their head.

But I don’t think pulling down the South Carolina Battle flag is going to have any real effect.

In all likelihood the next crazy wacko will just feel more emboldened because the last guy got good publicity from it and he got people to take some action (taking down the flag) because of what he did.

Not a good message.

I also think that just like Texas often thumbing their nose at the Federal Government, now the whole South has an additional reason to resent those from both coasts who look down on The South as a whole. Representing them as gun toting, NASCAR watching, Country Music loving, rednecks.

Now some of that may be true. But that may not be bad. It just might be misunderstood.

And The South has always been understood by The North or the Liberal Left. And it might just be the flag removal pressure is another way to marginalize The South.

And all this is more likely than not to even increase the Southern Pride and try to distinguish themselves even more.

Even Kid Rock tells Confederate Flag Protestors they can kiss his %$#.

So what do they say? Any publicity is good publicity? Not necessarily. But if you know who your audience is, your response can very well keep you in the conversation. For example,

South Carolina Governor, Nikki Hailey – playing to both state constituents and national media needed to toe a more politically correct line
Golfer, Bubba Watson – national and international sponsors support his living; and he has a nice guy attitude he wants to preserve – still not sure if that plays well in The South though
Kid Rock – he’s always fighting the establishment; he represents the common man; someone who plays by his own rules – like The South; and his fans love him for that
Donald Trump – he’s not part of this fight too much but he attacks everything that is politically correct because his Republican counterparts are so bland in their opinions; he says what many, in the Conservative wing of the Republican Party, are thinking and wishing mainstream Republicans would do and say more

So how does this pertain to your business? Are you taking the bull by the horns and getting your message out to your customers? Or are you letting your competitors paint you into a corner?

In your business you may not have to deal with iron-hot moral and political issues. But you still need to help your prospects and clients understand what sets you apart from everyone else and why they must buy your products or services. And buy them now.

Don’t be tentative. Be bold!

How the IRS Stole Compassion

July 7, 2015 by Mike McRitchie Leave a Comment

Just when you thought you’d heard it all about the IRS, we get this.

IRS Fines Small Businesses

On July 1st the IRS put a regulation in place that fines small businesses who help their employees in need get the health care they need.

Is this part of Obamacare?

No, it wasn’t even voted on in Congress. This is the unelected IRS doing this by creating regulations to do their bidding. Now whether they’re going rogue, or doing it under Obama’s team’s direction, I can’t say. But it is another example of why this is not about caring about the American people, but about politics, power, and control. And if you don’t follow the government’s guidance you get slapped down.

What’s the Regulation?

Takes effect July 1, 2015
Fine up to $36,500 per year per employee ($100/day)
Fine is for paying or reimbursing employee individual health premiums (considered a group plan)
Not in the “Affordable Care Act”

Link to the Forbes article on the subject – IRS Bullies Small Businesses for Helping

Now is this something that is put in place to prevent people from coming up with their own solutions to the high cost of health care? Likely. Politicians like to control how their constituents do things. They don’t like them coming up with their own solutions. Because if they do then they don’t need the politicians. And if they don’t need the politicians then politicians lose their power. Because they can’t make promises or support legislation that the special interest money feeds.

Politicians Need Power and the IRS Wants Your Money

So this is a warning to you small business owners. And also to small business employees. Big government is not on your side. And going against the government can have painful consequences. We all like to think that if we do the right things there is nothing to worry about. This situation is a perfect example of how that is not the case.

Be Aware, But Make Your Small Business Great

So be careful. And be always vigilant. You never know what is around the next corner.

But also be bold and hard charging. Because the future of America is dependent on you, the entrepreneur, creating something that never existed before you created. And America needs you very much.

Deflate-gate…a Case Study of How Not to Address Problems in Your Business

May 11, 2015 by Mike McRitchie Leave a Comment

Deflate-gate…a Case Study

So today the penalties came out in the New England Patriots’ Deflate-gate case. Tom Brady gets a 4-game suspension and the Patriots are fined $1 million and lose 2 draft picks.

So what’s wrong with that?

Justice done. The league can go back to business as usual, right?

Not quite.

The deal is that is just going to be something to continue the conversation around football. Not in a good way either. Brady is going to appeal. So the drama will continue to unfold.

Now you say, “Any publicity is good publicity,” right?

Well this year football got hit hard with a lot of scandals and PR problems. Ray Rice, earlier retirements to avoid concussions, etc.

And Deflate-gate was such a non-issue anyway.

Just look at it. Each team gets to inflate the balls within a range to match their quarterback’s needs. Each team uses their own balls on offense. So by definition the understanding is the quarterback is setting the balls up for his needs.

If someone has a problem with the inflation level, call a spot check during the game during the next TV timeout. You can make that problem go away instantly. No muss, no fuss. The TV audience doesn’t even have to see it happening.

If it is good for the league to have properly inflated footballs, they could address it when there is a concern. They could even have penalties involved if that was necessary.

Or they could change the rules to have a central keeper of the balls that isn’t part of either team (like a ball keeping ref).

But owners want payback

But that isn’t what happened. There was a big investigation instead. That’s what happens when everyone’s a lawyer. You’re trying to assign blame rather than solve the problem (i.e. deal immediately with the underinflated ball situation during the game).

And so now the public is involved. Tom Brady’s name and the Patriots name is maligned in the press and everyone will say the Brady/Patriot Superbowl win should have an asterisk next to it.

Really???

This is football not tiddly winks

That’s what it has come to? Doesn’t everyone realize that everyone is taking a competitive edge? Whether it is steroids or blood doping. People are kidding themselves if they think professional sports…and in particular pro football is immune from that. Players and teams are just playing the game (and not the game of football but working the system to get their team the biggest competitive edge).

And Deflate-gate was just a really bad example of a witch-hunt that was so unnecessary.

My opinion is it was some disgruntled owners who were pissed off at Brady and the Patriots because they worked the system better than they did and sought revenge.

And what happens?

Everyone loses

They all lose. Now the NFL (which supports these NFL owners and players) is on the ropes. How is that going to damage their brand? How is it going to impact future revenues?

That remains to be seen but there was certainly an opportunity to do things differently.

And so I want you to take that to heart. And back to your business situations.

A blame culture kills morale

How often do we focus on placing blame instead of solving the problems.

It is so easy to demonize someone else. To assume guilt or bad intent.

And how often is that really the case. And when it is, isn’t that created by the culture of the organization?

Are you contributing to the problem?

And isn’t that driven from the top? From you the business owner?

Well what are you going to do to take the reins of your business culture? How are you going to make yourself and your team accountable?

Think about that and look inside. And take action today.