On the way to announce the end of hostilities between the South African government and the African National Congress, a bomb exploded.
President Mandela was now stuck between the rock and the hard place.
Call off hostilities and risk the wrath of his people or continue along the path of peace.
It was a difficult decision.
After many difficult and agonising discussions with his Lieutenants, President Mandela choose peace instead of further confrontations.
As difficult as that decision was, President Mandela decided he was not going to allow evil doers to derail the path to peace.
How did he bring along his people?
You can imagine the anger of his people.
When people are angry, it’s difficult to preach logic.
Everyone knows President Trump is deliberately stoking the flames of racial division for political benefit.
Vice President Biden’s attempt to appeal to reason with angry people who keep watching their brothers getting shot is not that easy.
But it can be done.
What President Mandela did after the bomb explosion was to tell his personal story.
He told stories of sacrificing his wife and children for the fight for freedom.
Lessons for Vice President Biden
No other Democratic candidate would have had the opportunity of looking a grieving mother in the eyes and say to her ‘I feel your pain’ as Vice President Biden can.
My advice to President Biden is, if you want to reach out to those on the streets, you need to tell them your story of pain.
They all understand this is a defining moment for all Americans.
But you need to demonstrate to them you understand their pain and that you are going to address it.
Speak to their hearts not their minds.
Don’t listen to those in the media suggesting you condemn the demonstrators.
Condemnation will only inflame the situation and make you appear as insensitive as President Trump.
Speak to their hearts….
Speak to their mothers….
Speak to their brothers and sisters…
Let them realise they cannot afford to miss this opportunity.
Mr. Biden don’t assume they already know your story.
Tell your story, so that they know you truly feel their pain.
And Kamala Harris being one of us, there can never be a better double story.
Disrupting Trump
Despite the fact that almost two hundred thousand Americans have lost their lives and the economy is tanking, Mr. Trump has Mr. Biden on the defensive.
How can that be?
It’s because Mr. Trump controls the narrative.
He decides the subject and Mr. Biden responds.
That is bad.
The theory of disruption says you do not go head to head with the incumbent, they will kill you.
Mr. Trump is like a dirty fighter who hits his opponent in the balls.
So, Mr. Biden should not stand facing him.
Mr. Biden needs to create his own daily narrative, not spend his time responding to Mr. Trump.
Finally, Mr. Biden, whatever happens, never call the demonstrators thugs.
Find a way to reach out to them.
Despite their anger, they have legitimate grievance.
Remember the price Hillary Clinton paid for her ‘despicable’ remark.
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