I wrote the last blog post a month ago, just before the presidential election. The text was part of a talk I was giving at the time, urging new thinking in health care.
In the 2004 election, I had offered to help Steve Poizner campaign for a state legislature seat. Steve had an extraordinarily positive spirit that clearly served him well as an entrepreneur. He had achieved great success in business, but remained humble and dedicated, walking door to door to get to know his community and to listen to their concerns. I admired his attitude and approach, and decided to help out.
On election day, I went to my assigned polling places, checked lists to see who had voted, and called people to “get out the vote”, offering a ride if to the polling place if needed. I couldn’t see how my small effort could make a difference, but in the end, Steve lost by only a few votes. I regretted not making more calls.
We have intractable challenges in health care, which will consume $1.7 trillion in the United States this year. We seek leaders with the courage and the humility to take on the challenge of reform. Do you think that anything will change in the next four years?