Steve Jobs to Obama: You're a One-termer
A new Walter Isaacson biography of Apple CEO Steve Jobs is coming out and early copies have been released/discovered/leaked. One of the interesting tidbits involves a fall 2010 meeting between Jobs and President Barack Obama in San Francisco. As the Huffington Post puts it, "he seemed to have transformed from a liberal into a conservative":
"You're headed for a one-term presidency," he told Obama at the start of their meeting, insisting that the administration needed to be more business-friendly. As an example, Jobs described the ease with which companies can build factories in China compared to the United States, where "regulations and unnecessary costs" make it difficult for them.
Jobs also criticized America's education system, saying it was "crippled by union work rules," noted Isaacson. "Until the teachers' unions were broken, there was almost no hope for education reform."
Sounds like Jobs' advice was really taken to heart by Obama. I wonder how many other CEOs have the same belief about Obama.
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Jul '10
Re: Steve Jobs to Obama: You're a One-termer
Who did Jobs think he was, a community organizer?
Jun '10
Re: Steve Jobs to Obama: You're a One-termer
Jobs was under the mistaken impression that Obama wanted to compete with China. Not exactly. He wants America to adopt the Chinese system, and then then compete. First things first.
Apr '11
Re: Steve Jobs to Obama: You're a One-termer
I wonder if he told him to replace that Blackberry with an iPhone.
Maybe he gave it to him as a gift downloaded with music and videos and such, you know a gift worthy of royalty.
Do you think he was listening or was he doing the multiplication table in his head, you know how much he likes math and all.
Mar '11
Re: Steve Jobs to Obama: You're a One-termer
I'd like to have been a fly on the wall at that meeting - the clash of giant egos, conflicted between socialist ideals and capitalism.
The irony is that Apple's success was built in China.
Let's hope Mr Jobs was right - he usually was.
But we will still be left with the problem that everything is made in China.
Aug '10
Re: Steve Jobs to Obama: You're a One-termer
Steve Jobs has despised the system of public education (especially teacher tenure) since at least 1995. I can't find the link, but Pascal Emmanuel-Gobry had some (perhaps too harsh) thoughts about how he was glad Jobs felt this way but disappointed that he didn't advocate for the view more aggressively, for instance by donating a few million to a CA school voucher ballot initiative that could have used the help.
Re: Steve Jobs to Obama: You're a One-termer
What, do you think, are the chances that this encounter and exchange will be discussed on NPR's Talk of the Nation, in The New York Times or The Washington Post, on CNN, MSNBC, CBS, ABC, or NBC?
Aug '10
Re: Steve Jobs to Obama: You're a One-termer
I think the official odds are "slim to none."
Jun '10
Re: Steve Jobs to Obama: You're a One-termer
I wonder if the president addressed the CEO of Apple as Mr. Jobs? The irony is too delicious.
Jun '10
Re: Steve Jobs to Obama: You're a One-termer
When you are the smartest man in the universe, who's a little guy like Jobs to give you advice?
Jun '10
Re: Steve Jobs to Obama: You're a One-termer
Songwriter
I think the official odds are "slim to none." · Oct 21 at 7:16am
Songwriter: We love you dearly, but you're way too optimistic about things.
Jun '10
Re: Steve Jobs to Obama: You're a One-termer
Probably got the name wrong and called him Bill Jobs, but it was only in passing.
Re: Steve Jobs to Obama: You're a One-termer
Songwriter
I think the official odds are "slim to none." · Oct 21 at 7:16am
Well, here it is on the websites of the NYT, CBS, and ABC (that's all I have to time to check for now). News organizations need traffic more than than they need to communicate ideology. Steve Jobs and this book are generating an enormous amount of traffic.
Update: Washington Post and HuffPo.
Edited on Oct 21, 2011 at 12:09pmNov '10
Re: Steve Jobs to Obama: You're a One-termer
One termer, but was still going to support Obama anyway. This is the hypocritical side of liberals such as Steve Jobs. Loath Obama in the press, but support him with money so the nutcases on the left don't picket their home or products.True Capitalists in the most ironic sense. I might respect Steve Jobs technical and business acumen, but I sure don't respect him as a member of the polity.
Aug '10
Re: Steve Jobs to Obama: You're a One-termer
tabula rasa
Songwriter
I think the official odds are "slim to none." · Oct 21 at 7:16am
Songwriter: We love you dearly, but you're way too optimistic about things. · Oct 21 at 9:03am
I just wanna be a blessing!
May '10
Re: Steve Jobs to Obama: You're a One-termer
I like this. Its primary value is to demoralize the Dem Youth into staying home on election day.
Edited on Oct 24, 2011 at 1:29pm