It’s time for leadership. And leadership is more than giving speeches. It’s the ability to reach out, listen, persuade, and move people to a point where they begin to understand—and appreciate—the benefit of following you. The White House must reach out like never before to Congress and the American people. Congress must demonstrate to the American people that they can argue their points from both sides of the aisle, but ultimately forge a consensus that is good for America.
A CEO friend of mine always reminds me that his company is not a democracy. The buck stops with him and his board. Ownership is clearly defined. The United States representative democracy is different. The buck does not stop clearly with one branch of government. James Madison and Alexander Hamilton made sure we had a good system of checks and balances. To make a democracy work, you must be able to forge a consensus—not always perfect, but acceptable to the vast majority of citizens.
Republicans and Democrats are now at that defining moment on immigration. Forge a reasonable consensus and make something happen or risk the contempt of the American people. As Robert F. Kennedy once said in a famous speech, "Our future may go beyond our vision, but it is not beyond our control. It is the shaping impulse of America that neither fate nor nature nor the irresistible tides of history, but the work of our own hands, matched to reason and principle, that will determine destiny."
In the coming days and weeks, destiny will be determined by whether Congress and the White House can produce good policy. Please, show us you can govern or risk the fate of fools.