This is a very risky post.   Sometimes it’s just wiser to stay out of heated debates and avoid the risk of others disparaging your character or intelligence.  Especially when all I’m talking about is football.

Right now the Indianapolis Colts are in the throws of their worst season of the teams almost 60 year existence.  That’s somewhat hard to believe considering all those years through the 80s and 90s when the team could essentially be excluded from playoff consideration after the second preseason game.  Those were the years that the Colts did an excellent job of devising a plan on how to be an abysmal failure by racking up gads of high first round picks who would be busts within two years.  The Detroit Lions worked the Colts plan to perfection thoughout the first decade of this millennium

Then the Colts had to go and mess up their string of futility by drafting Peyton Manning.  Of course Manning’s first year with the Colts was not much different than most of the preceding years, but gradually the team got better.  Many fans gave credit to the owner, Jim Irsay (probably deserved).  Others touted the genius of Bill Polian (maybe true).  Certainly, most fans sang the praises of the developing future Hall of Famer, Manning.  I’m not even factoring in the three head coaches during Manning’s tenure.  The truth is that through the efforts of all three men, the Colts became a powerhouse in the NFL for over a decade.  A very good run.

However, with the latest events (I’m referring to Mannings’ neck), it has become clear that one of the three men was more important than the other two.  Owners have a lot to do with creating a successful team, but I believe they have more to do with making a team an utter disaster.  We can think of several owners who just can’t seem to get out of their own way.  General managers obviously have a direct affect on the specific personnel taking the field, but once in a lifetime quarterbacks make all the difference in the NFL.  And while other players may be irreplaceable, superstar quarterbacks are 100% irreplaceable.

While I’m a big fan of Irsay and think Polian is a pretty good GM, the real reason the Colts have been a success is because of Manning.  No, duh, Einstein.  But the real debate, when it became evident that this season was lost (game 1 or game 2), was whether the Colts should  start planning for the future by drafting Andrew Luck (the sure thing, ready for the NFL quarterback) and move on from Manning or keep Manning and trade Luck for picks and players.  The other argument had the team keeping both quarterbacks but seems far less sensible to me.

Here’s what I think:

If (and it’s a big “if”) Manning is healthy, the Colts have to keep him and trade the Luck pick for more top draft picks and starters.  If Luck is as qualified and desirable quarterback as all the experts are saying (I wouldn’t know, I’ve never seen him play and don’t possess the expertise even if I had seen him play), then his value as a trade is sky high.  Maybe I’m delusional, but I believe many of the younger players on this year’s team are gaining valuable experience that will make them better next year.  Add that to the new and some top tier, experienced talent for the next season or two… and Manning, and the Colts have a chance to make a couple more runs at the Superbowl.

If the Colts were to ditch Manning (who has brought untold fame and cash to Indianapolis), the team would definitely be in rebuilding mode for the next several years.  The Colts know what they get with Manning.  He’s a smart, hard working, talented, elite quarterback.  With Luck the team gets a ton of potential.  Fans quickly get bored with, and GMs and coaches get fired because of potential.  This is a now society, and I believe the Colts have a better immediate future with Manning.

I believe that we have a responsibility to younger generations not only to lead them but to teach them how to be leaders and then let them lead. Unfortunately, too often leaders are unwilling to relinquish power and instead of raising up leaders, they hold on, buying into the misconception that everything would fall apart without them at the helm.

One of the biggest culprits of “holding on too long” is our leaders in Washington. As our country falls further into economic disarray, our current leaders who bear a large share of responsibility for the irresponsibility in Congress continue to insist on staying in office. Instead of staying in their positions for 20, 30, or 40 years, these men and women should have some foresight to reach out to the next generation of leaders and offer wise counsel.

While much can be offered from years of experience, much can also be offered through youth and energy. Stepping down from elected office to empower and uplift the next generation is an admirable thing to do. Holding on too long is only self-serving and eventually destructive.

A clear sign that our politicians in Washington are overstaying their welcome is born out in a few simple statistics. First, Congress has a 9% approval rating. Think about it. Only 9% of our country thinks that Congress is doing a good job. If a private business had an approval rating like this from its customers, it would be out of business. A 9% approval rating is a clear sign that it’s time for new leaders and new energy. Second, the average age of the 111th Congress is over 57 years and the average age of a Senator is just over 63. Both have increased by over two and three years respectively since the 109th Congress. These statistics show that Washington is not opening up to the next generation, it’s leaving them behind.

In his book Developing the Leaders Around You, John Maxwell says, “Leaders who mentor potential leaders multiply their effectiveness.” Maxwell also wrote, “Leaders create and inspire new leaders by instilling faith in their leadership ability and helping them develop and hone leadership skills they don’t know they possess.” I believe this is what our leaders, whether in politics or the private sector, should be doing. They should be mentoring the next generation of leaders and then stepping aside to let them lead.

I think about our current leaders who have held their positions too long. I think about how they’ve missed so many opportunities to do a good work and multiply. Can any of them really say that in their 20, 30, or 40 years that they never came across one person of potential to whom they could have opened the door and let him or her take over that role of leader? Hardly, unless they weren’t looking.

Consider this last quote from John Maxwell in his book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. ”Great leaders gain authority by giving it away.” Just think for a moment about all the opportunities these leaders have missed out on to “gain authority by giving it away.”

I believe that one of the most important jobs of a leader is to raise up new leaders again and again. Just like a single apple tree produces many seeds year after year, which in turn can result in many new trees, our leaders should be fruitful in their multiplication of leaders. Unfortunately, many of our leaders have proven to be impotent.

Jack Lugar is a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Indiana’s 5th Congressional District.  For more information about his campaign, to volunteer, or donate please visit Lugar for Congress.

Here in Indiana, we’re holding out next general election on Tuesday, November 8, 2011, which, at this moment, would be next Tuesday. I believe it is a very important election. However, most people, even moderately faithful voters, may not share my opinion. Why? Because voters often put a greater emphasis on the more exciting national elections. Next week’s election isn’t quite as flashy because of its local flavor of town and city counselors, mayors, clerks, and judges, yet that is the exact reason why it is so important.

This is one of those situations, where the opposite of popular thought is true. Popular thought, which results in voters coming out in droves, says that big national elections are the most important. However, it is more likely that the election of local leaders and the decisions they make will actually have a greater impact on the individual citizen.

You’ve probably heard that, while it may be illogical to play the lottery in the first place, it is even more illogical to play only when the jackpot hits all time highs. The reason for this lies in the fact that even though the pot is bigger, so are the potential number of winners because more people are playing which then forces the pot to be divided up into smaller amounts. The same goes for local elections. Your vote has more meaning and impact when there are fewer people voting. Your one vote out of 1000 affects an election’s result a lot more than your one vote in 100,000. It just makes sense.

In addition, the local election is the one that is more directly linked to your bank account. The local leaders are the ones deciding how to spend your property taxes, sales taxes, and state income taxes. Moreover, they are the ones deciding whether to raise or lower those taxes. In addition, these are the people making decisions about zoning, building codes, local road development and repair, the size of police and firefighter staffing, how to educate your children, and how to bring new businesses and jobs into the community. These are pretty weighty issues.

Why wouldn’t you want a part in selecting these decision makers?

Voting is a right. It is also a responsibility. But one day, if we don’t respect that right and responsibility, it may just disappear. Please take the time this coming Tuesday to do your civic duty and have your say in selecting your community’s leaders.

Jack Lugar is a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Indiana’s 5th Congressional District.  For more information about his campaign, to volunteer, or donate please visit Lugar for Congress.

The other day I was asked the question, “How do you eat an elephant?”  It was one of those questions that I had heard before, but didn’t have the answer right there on the tip of my tongue.  Asking for the answer, my friend replied, “one bite at a time.”  I immediately thought about my campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives.  I am running a grass roots campaign with a limited budget which will consist of a lot (and I mean A LOT) of door knocking, small gatherings, and connecting with the less active voter.

Every time I look at the big picture, like anyone, I can get a little overwhelmed.  Yet, when I take a step back and look at each step, I see that the goal is attainable.  I see that the “elephant” can be eaten.

The other night I read a tweet that said one of my opponents for the U.S. House of Representatives brought in over $250,000 in a fundraiser event.  Wow!  That was a very impressive feat, but I had to remind myself of an important fact in political campaigning.  There will be ups and there will be downs, but the final decision is up to the voters and not the fundraisers.

What is interesting about my friend’s question is that the Republican Party is represented as an elephant.  And as the political outsider in this primary election that is exactly who I’m facing – Republican “Elephants” with giant war chests. And the great part about eating these elephants?  They probably won’t even notice the first several bites.  And by the time they do notice, I expect it will be too late.

So as I continue to build my campaign to represent Indiana’s 5th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, I will satiate my enormous appetite with elephant, one bite at a time.

To contribute to Jack Lugar for Congress and join my team focused on creating jobs, stopping overspending, and cutting down on restrictive regulations visit LugarforCongress.com and click the donate button.

In an effort to get into the community and connect with the voters, I am hanging out at Big Apple Bagels in Fishers every Friday morning from 6:30 -8:30.  My desire is that people who are interested in getting to know me and more about my candidacy will stop in for a cup of coffee and/or a bagel and sit down for a moment or two to chat.

Joe w/ Jack is an informal weekly event, so just show up and give me your two cents worth.  I look forward to meeting you.

You can get a map to Big Apple Bagels here.

**We have recently changed Joe w/ Jack.  Now, if you are interested in sitting down for a cup of coffee, contact the campaign office (317-537-1705) to schedule a time and location.  I want to be accessible to the voter, so let’s set a time to talk.

When I created this blog, I had the idea of using it as a tool to develop my writing.  I didn’t have a specific plan or focus for it.  I just wanted to see what ideas came to my head and then translate them into something that might more often than not be entertaining to read.  The biggest challenge for me in blogging has been finding a little extra time between work, family, and my other creative endeavors.

Now I’m taking on something even bigger over the next several months that will take me away from my normal blogging.  That’s not to say I won’t be posting here, but the tone will most likely be a bit more serious.  For several years, even while working in Hollywood as a producer and writer, I have envisioned myself taking on a role in politics.  One of my motivations for going to law school was to have a better understanding of the legislative process and the drafting of such legislation in order to pursue a legislative position.

Recently the question was asked of me whether I’d ever thought of running for Congress.  I laughed because I thought my friend had been talking to my wife, who had been encouraging me to throw my hat in the ring for many years.  Quickly, I discovered that there had been no conversation.  Instead it was a sincere question.  And I responded, “yes.”

So here I am today.  I’m throwing my hat in.  Today I am announcing my bid to run for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 5th Congressional District of Indiana.  I believe the next several months will be one of my greatest, most challenging adventures.  One that I have prepared myself for, however not like the typical politician.  I have worked in several industries, dealt with opposing viewpoints, owned small businesses, and overcome impending failure to achieve success.  I’m in this to win.  And that’s what I plan to do.

You can find out more about my Congressional bid by visiting my campaign website at http://www.LugarforCongress.com.  I hope you’ll join me, my family, and friends on this adventure by donating or volunteering.