Fecteau: Wanted! Military Leaders for Public Office
Matt Fecteau, GoLocalProv Guest MINDSETTER™
Fecteau: Wanted! Military Leaders for Public Office
Our troops' skills are fine toned through the rigors of in-depth training. We typically go through a number of carefully orchestrated and calibrated educational, training, experiential trials. While outside the military, civilians receive months or even a few weeks of training. Our military invests significantly in individuals to make difficult decisions in stressful, short periods of time. This requires dedication, money, and time that is not comparable to any other profession.
As an officer in the United States Army, I trained up for almost a year sometimes to the point of near exhaustion to become a leader. I learned tactical maneuvers, but more importantly, how to successfully lead troops. Leadership is difficult. It is not about the prestige or the glamor. Leadership is about putting your troops and community first. This is something our state government sorely lacks.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTMilitary members also have the experience to boot. When I ran for Congress in 2014, political pundits scoffed at my alleged limited experience, but don’t mistake youth for inexperience. Unlike most civilians, military members at very junior levels take on expansive responsibilities. It is not uncommon for someone in their early 20s to be responsible for equipment valued in the millions, or lead operations that impact countless troops and contractors such as yours truly.
While deployed overseas, I was responsible for million-dollar budgets, and oversaw a footprint the size of Rhode Island. I also monitored a contract value in the millions, and conducted various movement operations. From hindsight, my experience is much more consequential than anyone of my political opponents. If I make the wrong decision, I could cost someone his or her life.
Military members are instilled with the values that long outlive any service obligation. We take an oath and swear to live with duty, self-sacrifice, and service. Service members view our obligations towards the community in which we live as a moral responsibility. It is not about monetary gain or status; military members do what is right because that is what we were trained to shoulder. Financial motives become relatively obsolete in the heat of battle when a simple decision is a matter of life or death.
Military members also train to complete the mission. While we place the priority of our troops first above ourselves, we also dedicate a considerable amount of time to completing the mission. In 2016, when I ran for state Senate, prospective voters felt it odd I was knocking on doors in nearly triple digit temperatures. However, this is normal for any military member. We train to finish what we started; no matter the obstacles.
With all this being said, military leadership should be valued dearly especially by Rhode Islanders. Rhode Island is a near failed state because of forsaken politicians who put their own interests above the people. This is tragic for a state that should be craving fresh disciplined leadership such as that so cherished by our military.
For being such military-heavy state, it would behoove more veterans to heed a call to a new type of public service: political office. Whether for state or federal office, let’s hope more veterans run for office because Rhode Island so dearly needs them more than ever.
SEE WHO POTENTIAL CANDIDATES FOR GOVERNOR ARE IN 2018
Potential 2018 Candidates for RI Governor
GOP/Moderate
Ken Block
The founder of Rhode Island's Moderate Party ran as a GOP candidate for Governor in 2014, but was beat by Cranston Mayor Allan Fung in the primary, 55% to 45%.
The two never made amends and could face each other again. A Block third-party run would almost assuredly mean a Raimondo repeat win.
Block was the champion of eliminating the master lever, but that proved to be a bit of a false god -- the GOP made no gains in the legislature and in fact lost seats. Now, he is calling for line-item veto which may not be the ethics messiah that it is advertised to be.
GOP
Giovanni Feroce
Everyone knows Feroce as a high profile CEO -- first as head of Alex and Ani and now as the CEO of BENRUS. He is a retired combat Army Major, former State Senator and one of the most high profile Rhode Islanders.
His recent open letter to Brown President Christina Paxson this week went viral, and forced a statement from the Ivy League President after students trashed American flags on campus for Veterans Day.
He would bring government, military and business experience to the job.
GOP
Allan Fung
The Mayor of Cranston has a run under his belt, and is widely considered to be making another bid.
In 2014, Raimondo won 40% of the general election vote, Fung garnered 36%, and the late Bob Healey running under the Moderate Party flag collected 21% of the vote.
Many believe that Block put Healey up to run and cost Fung the Governorship.
In his re-election effort this fall, Fung racked up nearly 70% of the vote against long-time Democrat politician Mike Sepe.
GOP
Bobby Nardolillo
The Coventry GOP representative has aspirations of higher office. His family owns one of the largest funeral home companies in Rhode Island, and Nardolillo isn't shy about calling the current Governor out.
He is an outspoken critic of Raimondo and pounds social medial on hot-button issues that he disagrees with her on daily. He is a traditional Republican with a strong base in Coventry - West Warwick - Warwick - Cranston. Those are good places to have a base in a Republican Primary.
GOP
Anthony Giarrusso
He is the one of the legislature's leading advocates for small business - not a bad message for a Republican primary.
An interesting bio -- grew up in Providence and attended Mount Pleasant High School and CCRI. Today, he represents East Greenwich in the House and is the President of a jewelry company in Johnston.
DEM
Gina Raimondo
The first two years has been anything but smooth. She won the Democratic primary with just 42% of the vote and then won the general election with just 40% of the vote.
Her administration has stumbled on staffing, the ill-fated tourism campaign, failure to land GE's headquarters, technology implementation, and most importantly, the lack of economic development. No cranes. She has a fundraising advantage, but as 2016 proved (Clinton outspent Trump 4 to 1 on TV ads) the old rules no longer apply.
The big question today is - just who is her base?
DEM
Clay Pell
The grandson of one of Rhode Island's most beloved political families finished a reasonable third in the 2014 Democratic three-way primary garnering 27% of the vote.
His wife was a top Hillary Clinton campaign staffer and with the tough loss, living in RI must look a lot more attractive. As we know, his skating superstar wife Michelle Kwan coupled with deep pockets makes a Pell run very viable in a Democratic primary.
DEM
Brendan Doherty
Former Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police Doherty may be in the mix against sitting Governor Gina Raimondo as well. He ran as a Republican against David Cicilline in 2012 and raised $1.47 million. However, the moderate Doherty can't be ruled out for a Democratic run.
A one-on-one with Raimondo could be interesting as Doherty could argue he knows how to effectively manage an organization. In a three-way with Pell, he could be take the center candidate. If Pell, Raimondo and Doherty were to all go for it, it could be a primary that rivals Bruce Sundlun, Joe Paolino and Frank Flaherty's mega-spend back in 1990.
