“In one of the most hotly-anticipated biographies of the year, ‘Steve Jobs,’ author Walter Isaacson reveals that the Apple CEO offered to design political ads for President Obama’s 2012 campaign despite being highly critical of the administration’s policies,” The Huffington Post reports.
“The publication date of the official biography of the notoriously-secretive Apple co-founder was pushed up after his death in October,” The Huffington Post reports. “Jobs, who was known for his prickly, stubborn personality, almost missed meeting President Obama in the fall of 2010 because he insisted that the president personally ask him for a meeting. Though his wife told him that Obama “was really psyched to meet with you,” Jobs insisted on the personal invitation, and the standoff lasted for five days.”
“When he finally relented and they met at the Westin San Francisco Airport, Jobs was characteristically blunt. He seemed to have transformed from a liberal into a conservative,” The Huffington Post reports. “‘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.”
The Huffington Post reports, “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.’ Jobs proposed allowing principals to hire and fire teachers based on merit, that schools stay open until 6 p.m. and that they be open 11 months a year…. Though Jobs was not that impressed by Obama, later telling Isaacson that his focus on the reasons that things can’t get done ‘infuriates’ him, they kept in touch and talked by phone a few more times.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Note: Steve Jobs via Apple’s iBookstore (U.S.16.99) here: Steve Jobs – Walter Isaacson.
Related articles:
Teamsters Union President Hoffa: Obama should attack ‘unpatriotic’ Apple for not building factories in America – September 7, 2011
Obama dines with Steve Jobs, other tech execs with U.S. economy and education on menu – February 18, 2011
Teachers union demands apology from Apple CEO Steve Jobs – February 23, 2007
A clearer picture of Steve Jobs’ thoughts on public education and teacher unions – February 21, 2007
Steve Jobs & Rush Limbaugh agree: U.S. public schools are ‘unionized in the worst possible way’ – February 20, 2007
Apple CEO blasts teacher unions, says US schools are ‘unionized in the worst possible way’ – February 16, 2007
It’s amazing a man as smart as Steve Jobs would waste even one precious minute of his last year of life with that one-term empty suit.
Actually, hate to say it, but he will not be a one-termer, so Steve wasn’t always right, nor are you. None of can be right all the time.
The average American is not stupid enough to see what the heck is going on here. The Republicans will pay. In case you’re wondering, that’s a good thing…
No:
http://www.gallup.com/poll/150116/Generic-Republican-Continues-Lead-Obama-Vote.aspx
Not with approval below 50… Make that belwo 40%:
http://www.gallup.com/poll/113980/gallup-daily-obama-job-approval.aspx
For better or worse, we won’t be seeing someone named “Generic Republican” on the ballot next November. The Republicans will nominate someone, and that someone will choose a running mate, and the American public will weigh the pros and cons of that team vs. Obama/Biden.
Announcing Retirement, Dem Congressman Bashes Obama
Rep. Dennis Cardoza, D-Calif., announced his retirement from Congress this afternoon — and he issued a scathing parting shot at President Obama’s track record on his way out.
In a statement explaining his decision, Cardoza, a leader of the centrist Blue Dog Coalition, said he was “dismayed” by the administration’s “failure to understand and effectively address the current housing foreclosure crisis.”
“Home foreclosures are destroying communities and crushing our economy, and the Administration’s inaction is infuriating,” Cardoza said.
http://hotlineoncall.nationaljournal.com/archives/2011/10/cardoza-to-anno.php
Obama will lose, with unemployment above 8% at least and underemployment above 17% at least.
It’s the economy, stupid.
Romney-Cain in a landslide. iCal it.
You’re the one that better iCal it pal. Seriously. You will be wrong. More than likely a recurring theme in your life anyway. Comical really.
makmineamac,
I may have the ticket wrong, but not the result. I will point back to this post on election night when the crystal clear results will prove me right. See you on November, 6, 2012.
What’s going on here is 70 years of the warfare welfare state destroying the country. Hopefully you’re right and people will be smart enough to see what’s going on, and throw out jackasses like Obama and refuse to elect anyone who doesn’t actually plan to reform things.
Engineer: no, America is not a “welfare state”. Let’s not blow relatively small issues out of proportion. Do yourself a favor and read UMA Professor Rich Wolf’s book, “Capitalism Hits the Fan”. Without attempting to point blame, he shows how the symptoms that partisans on both sides complain most about have roots in fundamental weaknesses in our economic system. Weaknesses that political parties refuse to discuss, let alone attempt to solve.
Reality is that wages in the USA have stagnated for 40 years, which drove all kinds of social and economic bad behavior, as well as a marked decline in US competitive advantage and increasing social unrest and political division. Welfare dependency is only one small symptom, my friend.
and to the partisan posters: your party sucks equally bad as the present administration, in some ways worse. both political parties are equally to blame for over 40 years of malfeasance, breach of public trust, and financial incompetence.
Finally someone who gets it. He’s right partisan trolls, both of your parties are bought and paid for, and do NOT represent the people.
As for wages, they are actually dropping, lowest median level since 1999. http://tinyurl.com/6cuvyvw
What’s more, worker productivity is at an all time high, so fewer workers, working longer hours, for less pay, yet more productive. Seems the top is getting greedier and we are slaves. Work more to give the money right back, what a vicious cycle. And you sheep don’t even think about it.
http://tinyurl.com/43qpvqs
Meanwhile 3/4 of the money our government spends is on the military industrial complex and all anyone can howl about is “entitlements”. Seems we would rather wage imperial wars and send our sons and daughters to death than help our own. What a sad state of affairs..
do you just make this crap up as you go or do you actually believe that nonsense? I noticed there was no link for that last load of bull… figuring no one would call you on it?
Medcare, Medicaid and CHIP alone cost more than military spending and that’s without even starting to bring in the real welfare state expenses.
here is the link you “missed” while making up your wild fantasies…
http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=1258
Actually more money is spent on entitlements programs (SS, Med) then on Military.
And out come the chickenhawks..
Chew on these numbers:
http://costofwar.com/en/
After you look at this number, try to think through your misplaced nationalism and bloodlust and ask yourself this simple question: “How many great things could this money been used for right here in the US”? Then ask yourself this: “How many American COW would there be”?
As for my 3/4 figure, yeah, a slight exaggeration, but it IS approaching that. What you likely do not realize is that during the Vietnam era, the government accountants started including trust funds into the numbers (despite funds not coming from federal income taxes like the rest) to reduce the ratio to make military spending LOOK smaller on the pie charts. A subtle deception yes, but one chickenhawks like you overlook. So when you pull those numbers out, and put military retirement benefits on the defense slice, it was something like 54% of the fed budget for defense in 2009, then in 2010, it was projected to be 65%. Extrapolate those numbers and you can see where it is headed.
Interestingly enough the fed likes to put the VA in the entitlement slice. Funny don’t you think? You chicken hawks send US to war (Yeah, I’m a Vet) then when we come back all screwed up, you patriotic, chest thumping neocons want to do away with our medical benefits.
… christian if Obama WERE attempting to draw us closer to a “socialist state”. As Christ would have preferred. But, no. He would rather try to draw the supposedly-Christian NoPublicans into a dialogue regarding what we ought to be doing in this country. They suggest, suggest some more, then suggest some more, then – having gotten it just the way they said they wanted it – vote “NO!”.
While I am disappointed in Obama, I can’t say as any of the other Democrats would have been any better – and it has been Decades!since I’ve seen a Republican I would prefer.
lolwut, the Welfare State saved your country when it was destroyed by companies doing what they wanted back in 1929.
What’s scary is that you actually believe he will and should be re-elected.
Obama has been a disaster for our country. Elected out of anger for Bush, we’ve paid a terrible price for our reaction.
So the solution is to elect some from the tea party side show? No, we need real solutions and the devil we know is better than the clown we don’t.
If a really smart caring person who REALLY understood what was wrong showed, it would be elected by a landslide.
Tea Party will save the US Smark, you ignorant fool. You liberals are completely clueless. Wages have not stagnated for 40 years. People have the best in the history of humans right now due to CAPITALISM and the US CONSTITUTION. Two things you commies hate. You want to pick the winners and losers. And under your failed, miserable, system there are very few winners and a lot of phonies and horrific suffering. No thanks. Tea Party will save the day. The flea party with their phony “protest” on wall street is the problem.
@ Proud American:
If you represent the Tea Party, then why would i support anyone who can’t even hold a civil discussion? Yes, spending is a problem. But if you call me an ignorant fool, then you’re obviously not listening to me and don’t want to hear anyone elses’ ideas. guess what — that’s the problem we have already! your representatives are acting like you do: refusing to hear your ideas because they already have lobbyists that they like more than you. think about it.
I propose cutting foreign defense spending and all corporate subsidies. Both within the bounds of the constitution and capitalism. Why doesn’t ANY political party, including the Tea Party, support this necessary step towards fiscal sanity????
“If a really smart caring person who REALLY understood what was wrong showed”
Ha ha, I thought that was supposed to be the teleprompter reader.
Steve sounds pretty correct to me!
Agree with you.
makemineamac,
You are a sick person. Please move to North Korea, Russia, or Iran where you will fit right in. That is the direction Maobama and liberals want to take this once great country. We true Americans will not let that happen. Landslide next November. You jack ass.
Not the least bit surprised to hear that type of tripe from someone who calls themselves a “Patriot”. You’re clearly the furthest thing from it, and most-likely better defined not as a patriot, but a hick.
makemineamac is defined as commie, US hating, scum!!!!!
Could we all just stop with the political crap?!?! This is a technology forum, not a politics debate forum!!!
Jobs was a Libertarian and Objectivist (e.g.: he read Atlas Shrugged), but he wasn’t super political, probably because he was highly sensitive to corruption.
I can’t fault him for wasting time with that bastard, but realize he was probably trying to help people avoid some suffering from the continued corruption in the regime.
Lets hope the republicans run a clean primary season this time, and Ron Paul rightfully gets the nomination. (Last time around, when Ron Paul was going to win various caucuses, they shut them down, or cancelled state conventions, etc, to keep him from getting the nomination. Corruption isn’t exclusive to jackasses.)
He read the book, therefore he subscribes to her point of view. That, my friend, is not sound logic. Show me where Steve says he subscribed to her worldview.
If Steve didn’t want the current administration around, he likely wouldn’t have said anything. Rather, he was giving him advice to stay in.
On a side note, why do Americans worship a political party like it’s a religion. There’s surprisingly LITTLE difference between any of the parties.
There’s surprisingly LITTLE difference between any of the parties.
Hear, hear! I remember a lesson in high school civics class where the teacher would would read a position from a presidential platform of elections gone by, and ask the class whether it was from a Republican or Democratic candidate. The class got them right about 50% of the time.
That’s because GOOD Democrats years ago, like John F. Kennedy thought like a Republican! “Ask not what your country can do for YOU, as what YOU can do for your country!”
That is NOT the platform of a Democrat today. They want the country milked dry from entitlements. I know plenty of able bodied people on Welfare, and see too many abuses of that program. The men enjoying hobbies and beer, and the women birthing themselves deeper into handouts from my pocket.
So Steve Jobs was a Tea Partier and on the same page with Rush Limbaugh. I love it. There’s no way Steve could have been one of today’s liberal which means communist – dictator lover and freedom hater.
Guess I’m with Herman Cain on this one: If you spend a lot of time whining about Obama, it’s probably because you’re too stupid to recognize your own failings.
Yeah, talking to you “First”.
More Maobama genius at work:
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/car-company-us-loan-builds-cars-finland/comments?type=story&id=14770875
Sorry was that a Ron Paul reference? Which brilliant charismatic Republican Candidate are you rooting for??? I don’t see one.
One term presidency, most likely correct.
In your dreams. Have you even looked at who the GOP is considering to run in 2012? Somehow I doubt that Democrats are quaking in their boots when they see Herman Cain, or Rick Perry, or Donald “The Donald” Trump being in the lead for that race.
What is needed is a third, conservative party. The Teabaggers should have their own platform, lest their goals be diluted in Republican and corporate interests.
Then we have 4 years to survive as a country, if that.We wouldn’t survive a Republican/Tea Party presidency. I sure wouldn’t.
Not like this country would still exist if Obama gets re-elected for another 4 years
Right on Obama…right on business regulation in this country…right on teachers unions and the dolts they produce…guess Steve knew more than we imagined. R.I.P
Riiiight, because the way to solve the flight of US capital is to adopt the labor practices of China, with, you know, the suicide nets at the factories and the lead in kids’ toys.
Yep- that’s EXACTLY what Jobs was talking about… Whatever.
Throw in mandatory uniforms, and Steve and I would have had identical plans to reform education.
In my opinion, Steve Jobs (after leading Apple’s “renaissance”) had more “points of view” in common with Rush Limbaugh, than with Barrack Obama. And I’m not just talking about “hardware” preferences.
Thats a bit revisionist of you really.
And that is what made Jobs a great man. He could manage to find the courtesy to actually sit down even with those with different ideologies. While others close their minds and spew labels, he listened and shared. It’s a lesson many of the ideologs here on this forum should learn from a man we all admire.
MDN, you forgot to mention that despite these criticisms Steve Jobs offered to pay for Obama’s 2012 Ad campaign.
Um, no.
“Apple CEO offered to design political ads for President Obama’s 2012 campaign despite being highly critical of the administration’s policies.”
First sentence of MDN’s excerpt, Voice of Delusion.
The link to the full article is clearly provided for the rest of the info.
Personally, I think jobs has a point. And I understand some people may argue what I’m about to say, but it’s just my opinion.
Throughout Obama’s time in office, I have not seen any improvements In our nation or economy. In fact, with these stimuli us packages, he actually worsened our debt. And now, this is probobly the most debatable part about my opinion but may vary from person to person, he is proposing that we have higher unemployment benefits when we are clearly burried in debt and can not afford it.
I have a feeling, and I could be wrong, that he is doing this to get people to vote for him in the upcoming election. But to be honest, it’s not worth it. This move will burry us in greater debt making our problem even more complicated than it already is.
As for the education part, I think his proposal will do us some good.
Like I said above, the points I have brought up are all completely debatable. But this is just how I understand the situation.
I don’t know if McCain could have done better.
The problem is Congress. Any President would probably have more success herding cats.
I’m coming to the conclusion that Jobs was a bit a sanctimonious dick. Making the President of the United States bow and scrape before him? Sorry, people can have opinions about any WH occupant, but at least respect the office.
Shittiest U.S. President ever. Laughingstock. An unqualified joke. Most people finally wised up to what 59,934,814 of us already knew – too bad it was after he took office and we were stuck with the clueless wonder for four years:
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/obama_administration/daily_presidential_tracking_poll
Yeah, W. was a keeper. Riiiggghhht.
A no ,Nixon ,then bush jr .if your counting
Why stop there? Where is Millard Fillmore on your list? He is considered by most historians to be the worst ever.
I tried to respect the office but Obama made that impossible. The Obama experiment is a failure at an unbelievable cost to the country.
Says who? The Huffington Post? Pfffffft. I don’t believe Steve Jobs would have pulled that and if so there may have been a reason why he “may” have done so. Bullying by the WH perhaps? Just a thought
No politician deserves respect just because he is a politician. No president deserves a respect just because he is a president. Regardless which freaking party he represents. Jobs knew his value and he knew he was right. If the president wanted to talk to him, all he needed was to call. I am glad to hear that Jobs insisted on that. Steve may have given the best and most honest advice that Obama received in the whole presidency. A critical advice, yes, but still a friendly one, not from a point of view opposition who just wants to see him fail and be gone.
I Respect the office just not the occupant.
I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt especially when he was first elected and said it was going to be the most transparent admin ever and there’d be no lobbyists working in his admin (both were scrapped in months). I also hoped he’d role back some of the invasive parts of the Patriot Act, he’s expanded them.
Then the bowing/apology national tour.
That was it for me.
He needs to show respect for our/his country and (while sometimes flawed) the great things we have accomplished.
And as far as reforming the public education system, it was in the crapper waaaay before Obama. I would agree that year-round school is a good idea.
Only Steve 🙂
Though Jobs was not that impressed by Obama, later telling Isaacson that his focus on the reasons that things can’t get done ‘infuriates’ him
So much for “yes we can” …
You can’t say yes to everything, especially if it is contrary to what you stand for. What made you think “Yes We Can” would mean “Yes Steve, the US, the world’s dominant superpower, can lower its emissions standards to match those of world-renouned polluter and exploiter of cheap labour China?”
The Black Jesus, Barry Soetoto, a one term president? You betcha! Not only that but he’ll be remembered as the president who degraded and disgraced the office of president taking vacations and playing golf while the highest number of Americans remain jobless. Instead of creating jobs what does he do? Increase the entitlement program so those with jobs will feel the whiplash of the IRS and anti business government establishment on their already raw backs. But then what do you expect from a Kenyan wealth destroyer – they’re used to the kind of poverty inducing policies back in the land of the corrupt. Barry, your Soviet policies aren’t working. Even China has abandoned communism. Fidel & The Black Jesus seem to be the only communist holdouts left. Welcome to the Kim Jong Il club of economic doofuses.
Teababy.
TeaBagger!
TEA PARTY ROCKS!!!!! Let’s keep electing more and more of them and get them in all parts of government. Then the US will be back on track to greatness!!!!!!!
Big surprise that jobs was upset he couldn’t wreck the environment and exploit workers for pennies in the US like he did in China.
YOUR ARE A …. Numb-skull!!! While Americans are waiting for those disproportionate wages, the jobs are going to people (around the world) who will do those jobs to put food on the table. Your hyperbole is boring and dangerous. American will be a beautiful place, but broke. How are you going to make the chinese play by your Enviro-Nazi rules?
Despite their differences, Steve still got Obama an iPad 2 before its official launch. Bush Jr didn’t get a pre-release iPhone 3G ;-p
The rise of unions and in particular the state’s employees which are effectively unions is being hotly criticized for causing ruin…in the EU presently, if you are following how bad it is there…and it is much worse than the U.S.
The future of the US is staring us in the face if we face East!
Dumb down our schools and our leaders and that is what we get and all average citizens will be impoverished as the inflation ruins what they have saved over their entire lives.
This is why Germans are so scared of debt & inflation.
Jobs was a loyal, elitist Marxist to the end, but the politics of Marism was a bit beyond him. You have to destroy the middle class – bourgeoise – before you can make them automatons in factories, obeying Big Brother dictates. You idiot Jobs worshippers need to read 1984 as well as the history of so-called Marxism. Little known fact; Marx realized a vibrant middle class was necessary and had to flee Europe to England for his life. While his embracemnt of the need for the bourgeois put him on the outs of the communist/collective movement, he was a big believer in it to the end. Read 1984 and you’ll see we’re just about there.
I don’t think that the US or any Western country should be throwing away their emissions standards to match those of China. This week it was reported that a factory making aluminium bodies of MacBooks in China was shut down for releasing hazardous vapour into the air. Workers also do not have the same rights and protection that they do in the West. Steve Jobs was speaking as a corporatist to the US President. If he was indeed right that Obama will have one term, it would be one term for the right reasons.
Cue Rush Limbaugh and all the crazies from the Right that will jump on this.
Just because Jobs allegedly said this doesn’t mean he was a Republican. He was probably just very frustrated as most liberals are with Obama.
“Just because Jobs allegedly said this doesn’t mean he was a Republican. He was probably just very frustrated as most liberals are with Obama.”
Frustrated about what? I’d be interested in hearing this.
From what I understand, the left is frustrated due to Obama’s continued insistence on trying to actually work with the Party of No, which led to weakened versions of the ideas he’s pushed.
(Of course, without that willingness to compromise, he’d have accomplished even less.)
Jobs’ way of thinking was “for the poeple” .
A way thinking that we as Americians have not seen in a president in decades…I have great respect for the “Office of President & Country” but not the man, he has to earn it.
Did George W. Bush earn your respect?
Nope…..
Some of you guys are nuts.
Teachers deserve medals for the shit they put up with. Students with shitty attitudes (20% of which come to school a couple of days a week), parents that are unsupportive, and administration that will keep shitheads in the classroom simply for the “money” that comes from an occupied seat.
Most teachers spend hours outside the classroom (with no extra pay), trying to do the right thing by their students.
It is funny how many people have an “opinion” on a subject without any firsthand knowledge.
My secondhand ‘first hand’ knowledge is a childhood friend who is a principal of a public high school for the last fifteen years.
I asked him if it was what he thought it would be and are the students problematic?
His reply…
Dealing with parents! They are more of a problem then the students!
Dude, we all went to school. For every excellent teacher there are at least 10 people just cashing a pay cheque.
Apparently you went to school in the U.K. (cheque)
I don’t know where you actually went to school, but the great majority of my teachers were good (and great people). I’m sorry that you had such a bad experience. 1 in 10 teachers were good… that is sad.
Whether Obama is a one term presidency or not, is not as important as the need for TERM LIMITS of Congressional politicians both House and Senate, Republican and Democratic, Conservative and Liberal!
They can’t use the excuse of “experience” as screwed up as things are.
Their initial idealism is quickly replaced by narcism and nepotism.
If they knew their time was limited, they’d do right for the country versus what we have today of ‘self, party, THEN country’.
We can’t leave it to elections. Sea changes of power don’t come frequent enough and the morons in office don’t have the sense God gave them to know when they wore out their welcome.
TERM LIMITS, PEOPLE!!! OCCUPY THAT!
Good for Obama that he came to his senses and called Steve – he almost missed meeting him!
You guys obviously see what you want to see. The bottom line is Congress passes laws, president signs them. Including any spending bills, which must start in the House of Reps. Go to Thomas.gov and read on major bills passed under Obama. Things have changed, economy still sucks because the reality is jobs go overseas because of profit margins and labor rules. Unless you want China’s and India’s labor rules then reconsider how we regulate businesses. No one is really commenting in what Jobs said about business and schools, you’re just bashing Obama. which is no better than people who just bashed Bush. 11 months a year, no thanks. States should control their education not the federal government. That’s too much government control. That’s odd I thought Repubs were against government expansion. Relax business regs, sure that’s working out great for who, businesses. Do you really think America is going to be the home of Foxconn-like factories? You better wake up. That’s not America or the American workforce. Now let’s discuss some real solutions.
Actually, the tourism industry controls the schools here.
Our previous governor floated a proposal to increase the number of school days in the year, which was promptly shot down since families apparently spend everyday from Memorial Day to Labor Day travelling from Tourist Trap to Tourist Trap.
The wage slave. Conspicuous/continuous consumption economic model cannot be sustained. No one… Obama or. Republican can save it. You are seeing the beginning of the end of this economic system. It was doomed from the start because it depended On perpetual consumption. As resources continue to run out (oil will probably be first as China and India increase consumption) the great wars will hasten the end. We will treturn to a societal model based on self sufficient communities.
It is over and you just can’t accept it and try to place blame…. Remember the 5 steps… Denial , anger….you know the rest….. Anger will be a bitch….read the above comments and watch what’s happening in the country
I agree. I believe the USA has peaked and now is headed downward. Probably unstoppable at this point. The electric car won’t save us. We get a lot of our electricity from burning the same fossil fuels. Nuclear Energy is still a bit risky, but may become a our only option.