The Federal Government-never good at long-term planning and recently coming up tragically short in near-term adaptive economic oversight-has also never been more gridlocked. Partisan politics, self interest, economic misinformation, and mindless slogans rule the day-at one of the most critical and transitional times in our history. On the other hand, advances in technology continue, the United States has an incredibly powerful industrial engine and amazing productive capacity in place, and the potential is clearly there to address all the issues listed above. The Novel 'Mandate: A Man for The Times' is an optimistic, research-intensive, character-driven, humorous, and insightful 'fantasy' of how the United States might reach its technology-fueled potential over the next twenty years. Growing up, future president Williams gets an intense, 'hands-on' education in business and economics working in his father's turbulent GM auto dealership. Williams earns a PhD in economics from Yale and works with a charismatic professor, Dr. Lester Walden, who is leading an eminent team making groundbreaking advancements in global economic modeling, simulation, and analysis. Williams also pitches for the Boston Red Sox, and becomes head of the Players Union. (MLBPA) Meanwhile, Internet marketing billionaire Don Reddy, who has earlier founded the 'Sanity Party,' a progressive, bi-partisan, economically astute movement as an offset to the overly dogmatic and ideological 'Tea Party,' is now making eye-opening progress in building a baseball fan's union. Williams will lead the MLBPA in complex and historic negotiations with the MLB Owner's Committee and new MLBFA, and eventually become a successful Congressman and Governor of Massachusetts. Governor Williams brings together Dr. Walden, Don Reddy, the 'Sanity Party,' and a meticulously assembled team of the 'best and brightest' senior advisors to build a uniquely capable coalition that w

MANDATE: A MAN FOR THE TIMES

The Presidency of George Herman "Ted" WilliamsBy Michael A. Connelly

iUniverse, Inc.

Copyright © 2012 Michael A. Connelly
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4697-3965-6

Contents

Chapter 1 Dad's Dreams Change Radically.....................................................................................................1Chapter 2 The Youth of GHT—Baseball; Brilliance; Cadillacs; and The Harder I Work The Better I Do....................................4Chapter 3 Talent, Hard Work, Aspirations, and Redirections..................................................................................15Chapter 4 Options and Hard Choices: At Yale.................................................................................................31Chapter 5 The Low A 'Sally'—and 'Fluor Field at the West End'.........................................................................44Chapter 6 'Fenway Park at Kenmore Square'—And The Educated Ballplayer, 'Sanity Party,' and MLBFA......................................49Chapter 7 Phil Florio, The Eck—and Heidi Hartley......................................................................................60Chapter 8 The MLBPA; The Unlikely New MLB FA; and Mr. Don Reddy.............................................................................75Chapter 9 Adulthood: Congress and Governor..................................................................................................88Chapter 10 Prepping For A Unique Presidential Campaign......................................................................................106Chapter 11 The 'Sanity Party:' And Winning The Presidency!..................................................................................124Chapter 12 Moving Into The White House—and The Tourof Tours...........................................................................148Chapter 13 Intros—Philosophy, People, and Process.....................................................................................172Chapter 14 The First Weekend—and Little Maddie Comes to The White House...............................................................183Chapter 15 The Economy Overhangs Everything.................................................................................................191Chapter 16 Settling In—And Homeland Security..........................................................................................223Chapter 17 Scary Imaginings and Reassuring Routine..........................................................................................239Chapter 18 Establishing The Process of the Executive Office of The President................................................................253Chapter 19 The Office of Strategic Economic Planning and Technology Development: Dr Walden and Overly-Direct Don Reddy.....................262Chapter 20 Air Force One—And Touring Modern But Empty Factories In The Heartland......................................................285Chapter 21 The Federal Budget; Stimulus; Trade; Energy; and Jobs............................................................................298Chapter 22 Health Care, Wellness, and Education.............................................................................................317Chapter 23 UK Prime Minister Paul Healey....................................................................................................330Chapter 24 The First International Trip: China—And The Terrifying Prospect of 'Peak Oil'..............................................343Chapter 25 Heidi—And Maddie...........................................................................................................360Chapter 26 Energy, Peak Oil, International Collaboration, American Culture—And Unusual Presidential Priorities........................369Chapter 27 Heidi, Healthtown, Orthopedics, Executive Management—And The Gentleman From Plains.........................................377Chapter 28 Time Management, Strategic Planning, the Wedding—And Maddie................................................................392Chapter 29 Reverend Green and Minority Development..........................................................................................400Chapter 30 The American Culture—And Israel/Palestine..................................................................................417Chapter 31 Economic Progress—And Campaign Prep........................................................................................434Chapter 32 Campaign Prep and Christmas at The White House...................................................................................451Chapter 33 The Campaign For 'Bringing It Home'..............................................................................................459Chapter 34 Significant Secrets..............................................................................................................482Chapter 35 Energy, Education, Economics, and The Global Competitive Index...................................................................495Chapter 36 Demographics, Minority Development, and What Gets Measured Gets Done.............................................................508Chapter 37 The Healthtown 'G-20' Summit.....................................................................................................521

Chapter One

Dad's Dreams Change Radically

Edward 'Ted' Williams, twenty-eight-years-old and a late season minor league call-up for the AL East leading Boston Red Sox, tentatively motioned for his veteran catcher to come out to the mound.

The backstop had already been to three big league all-star games—but he was still a year younger than nervous rookie Ed-Ted.

Ed-Ted said, "Sorry, Buck, but isn't this ump really squeezing me on the inside corner? Can ya say something polite to him?"

"Ya watch the ump videos, Old Rook? Four-eyed prick always gives the hitter the inside corner. I think the blind bastard is too fat to see the inside strike."

"I did notice that he is indeed disturbingly stout, especially to be out on this historic ballfield in front of thousands of people; but I missed the implications for the strike zone."

"Rookie mistake. Anyway, I can't say anything now that ya called me out here, Rook, 'cause he'll just tell me you oughta shut the fuck up and go back to Pawtucket. Sharp curve down and away now ... make the goddamn pitch; these Yanks are only one behind us. And don't be nervous. It's only Sox/Yanks in September; and the thirty-eight thousand Boston fans sitting quietly in their seats are famous for their patience and understanding."

With the count two-and-two, Ted got on top of about the sharpest curveball he was capable of, and was momentarily thrilled when it felt just right and headed perfectly down and away, just off the strike zone but close enough that the hitter would have to bite with two strikes, two outs, and two on in the eighth.

But the right-handed-hitting Yankee slugger seemed to know exactly what and where, and lined the aging rookie's best off-speed paint over the Red Sox bullpen in right-center-field. In nine years in the minor leagues, Ed-Ted had never seen a right-handed hitter hit a ball that far to the opposite field—never mind on a two-strike curveball down and out of the zone.

When the veteran catcher got to the mound to wait for the manager to come take the ball, he said, "I was afraid the muscle-bound...