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Elections 2008: Bridge

May 16th, 2008
By DR. CLARISSA PINKOLA ESTÉS, Assistant Editor, TMV Columnist

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bridge-cpe.png

The Republicans seem at present, to be burning bridges between themselves regarding Senator McCain’s candidacy, while the Democrats seem to be beginning at least to talk about building bridges.

But to build a bridge isnt enough. Leaders can destroy their own groups by not having enough genuine earthy experience on the ground, by not being able to bring bold but effective solutions to longstanding problems, and by failing to have an accurate arial view of the ‘big picture.’ A leader needs all. In some semblance of balance.

Maybe that’s why the word “bridge” has at least three meanings, all of them visionary:

–to bridge: to connect one side to the other, one person to another, one group to another, to bond.

–a bridge: a structure that gives passage through or over that which was impossible or treacherous to pass over or through before.

– the bridge: the elevated platform on a ship from which the captain surveys the entire waters and weather ahead and directs which way best to go.

____________
CODA
This is a picture of a huge and beautiful bridge on a new road connecting Paris and Barcelona. It is the highest bridge in the world for now. It is said the engineers made the cambre of the bridge’s roadbed curved to a certain degree …to keep drivers from ‘veering’ or becoming dizzy …as many humans are wont to do when holding high office, I mean, driving on an elevated road… or as when some people experience slight vertigo too, when they stand on a pier with moving water below.



This entry was posted on Friday, May 16th, 2008 at 1:00 am and is filed under Leadership, Newsweek Blogitics. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Viewing 8 Comments

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    Nice post. I like how it illustrates that the ultimate goal of connectedness often arises only through the singularity, the exceptionality, of bridges. Bridges are so precious because they are bottlenecks that keep communities ever at risk of being separated, divided and to a degree controlled. So the true task is not to build the ultimate bridge, but to build a broadbased network of bridges--and of tunnels, of lines of communication, of newly discovered connecting routes--ones less susceptible to the careless (or strategic) burning of bridges. That is why it's important not that a leader bridges divides to connect with the people, but that leaders promote bridge building throughout and between communities.

    Great photo nevertheless.
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    "leaders promote bridge building throughout and between communities. "
    perfectly intelligent dear aba23. From your lips to....
    Thank you.

    dr.e
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    I just want to say... "that's one tall bridge!"
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    dear pacatrue: You're right. I'm told the roadbed is at least 787 feet from ground--- by measure of the pillars.... and that at some places the height is near 1102 feet.

    Let's see, a mile high is 5,280 feet. So somewhat near to 1/5 of a mile up off the ground. My engineer contacts tell me that you can figure 10 feet per story of a building at minimum, though perhaps more footage for each floor's height depending on number of stories.... but just going with the first, this bridge is as high off the ground as a 110 story building. Let's go ask Superman. Geez... no wonder they had concern about drivers getting vertigo.

    dr.e
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    dr.e, thanks! The post just coalesced a few thoughts that have been bothering me lately.

    Basically it's your observation that the Dems seem to be building bridges while the Republicans seem to be burning them.

    I agree. And I think this is because the Dems are beginning to rally around Obama while the Republicans are trying to find the best way to attack Obama. In other words the GOP doesn't yet have a cohesive plan on how to frame the fight against Obama. That has to do with certain remnants of the Republican Party who are still against McCain. So your post has it absolutely right- a leader has to see the bigger picture. The slight disarray we're seeing in the Republican Party right now is because McCain doesn't have the full backing of the various factions within the GOP.

    So the ironic thing is that the prolonged Dem battle kept the GOP at bay, until a presumptive Dem nominee appeared. Even though McCain was flitting about looking presidential, he wasn't spending any time tending his garden (the GOP factions) which began to grow haphazardly.

    But the GOP will pull itself together now and be stronger.

    The dynamic on the Dem side is a little different. Obama has pretty much been in the spotlight lately so any disaffected Hillaryites have not really been important. This is Obama's moment. But as the race goes on between Hillary and O, there will be more discord evident within the Dem Party right up until Hill drops out.

    Perhaps it is best (for the Dems) that the Dem battle continues. As long as it continues the GOP will have to divide its energy between Obama and Hill. And once O becomes the nomination, there will be a lot of energy and enthusiasm surrounding him. Remember this could go on until Denver.... whereas McCain is truly the presumptive nominee of the GOP. No excitement when he is nominated.
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    The pic of the bridge is great, thanks!
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    dear StockBoySF: you wrote this: "As long as it continues the GOP will have to divide its energy between Obama and Hill." I think this is accurate, and there was a turn this week. McCain appears to be sending out his hooks to only Obama. Very interesting crush between Hillary on one side and McCain on the other.

    That's rich: "not tending his garden"...

    and re pictures. I am looking for an off-site place to link to where some of the pix I use here at TMV can be viewed fullscreen or at least larger than we can carry at tmv. Usually cant get more than a 450Wx600H onto TMV column without cutting out half the pic. THis one of the bridge from Paris to Barcelona is worth seeing full size... it is very Martians-'must-have-landed-here beautiful.

    I read that you read the symbolic elements in images. Very cool.

    dr.,e
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    dr.e, thanks!
 
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