Pinball Clemons to Premier
It would appear, according to recent polls, that Kathleen Wynne’s time as Premier is over! The Progressive Conservative leader, Patrick Brown, is also low on the polls for the job of Premier. Similarly, Andrea Horwath of the NDP, though my favourite, is not high in the polls either.
If a wealthy person like Donald Trump, with no political experience, can lead the strongest nation in the world, and if wealthy Kevin O’Leary, also with no political experience, is now leading the polls to become the next Conservative leader to run against Justin Trudeau, why is Pinball Clemons not a good alternative?
Daily, we see the difficulties the Un-United States of America is in thus far with Donald leading the nation. I’m assuming that Kevin O’Leary won’t be as bad, but still will have a very jaded view of our nation. After all, Kevin has constantly recommended to Dragons’ Den and Shark’s Tank contestants that they send work to China or to India to increase their profit margins. Is this the type of person to lead our nation?
Naïve as it may be, why not bring in Pinball Clemons, starting with Ontario? My thinking is he would be a write-in vote for Premier. He would not be affiliated with any political party and would simply attract the best, most co-operative and experienced people to get things done in our province. There is no lack of talent in any of the political parties, but only an outsider like Clemons would ever have a hope of getting them all to collaborate together.
Recently, all elected leaders have asked for all parties to join together to get things done, but this never happens as they retreat back to their party lines and affiliations. I believe Michael Clemons can make it happen!
Pinball’s aptitude for motivational speaking is legendary. He has spoken at local schools and, according to all reports, his talks are at once captivating and empowering. According to the Canadian National Speakers Bureau, “He exemplifies the capabilities of teamwork and leadership while demonstrating what it means to beat the odds. Michael’s tireless community involvement and participation in countless charitable causes exemplify the qualities he possesses, which are so rarely found in today’s professional athletes. His presentations are at once captivating and empowering, and clearly demonstrate the capabilities of teamwork. Clemons will share his past experiences to illustrate how people can overcome obstacles and achieve success. Being just 5 feet, 6 inches tall and becoming a football superstar is quite exceptional. In his deeply moving and inspirational talk, he will speak about personal perseverance and the importance of teamwork, which is relevant to any industry.”
And if this is applicable to industry, why not politics?
Clemons with his wife, Diane (a native Floridian), and three daughters (who were all born in Canada) has described himself as an “American by birth, but Canadian by choice.” In 2000, Clemons became a permanent resident of Canada and capped it off in 2015, by officially becoming a citizen of Canada.
On Aug. 21, 2007, Clemons founded the Michael ‘Pinball’ Clemons Foundation, which is dedicated to helping disadvantaged youth. He is currently working with Marc and Craig Kielburger, the founders of Free the Children, in an initiative to build schools and clean water systems in Africa.
On May 17, the Pinball Clemons Foundation will be supporting local food banks for the largest one-day food drive in Ontario’s history.
These are the attributes I believe Ontario could use today! I have never met Pinball, but have heard so much about him. I’m hoping all of you readers will share this idea either on Facebook or amongst your friends. As always, I’m at bdfox@rogers.com, but don’t tell Pinball!