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That's interesting to see that Jobs treated Obama like a peer.
by dennisgorelik 15y ago
That's interesting to see that Jobs treated Obama like a peer.
- deleted 15y ago[deleted]
- y3di 15y agoShould he have put Obama on a pedestal instead?
- dennisgorelik 15y agoOf course not. But many people still would take subordinate position during in a meeting with the US President.
- wuster 15y agoIt wouldn't surprise me if Obama was more in awe of Jobs than the other way around. After all, Steve's been in the spotlight for 30+ years now, and Obama was an unknown until 2004.
- sjwright 15y agoWhich always seemed odd to me. Is he your king? Or was his ascendency based on merit? There's politeness, and I get being star-struck, but beyond that...
- cdwhite 15y agoYes. For Jobs to treat Obama otherwise seems somehow anti-republican: the fact that Obama is Jobs' peer---and indeed yours and mine---is, I think, a notion deeply rooted in American political culture. Considering the possibility of Jobs showing deference certainly raises my hackles. At the same time, it's natural to be overawed by a man like Obama, with so much political authority (and however much remains of the tremendous moral authority he had when elected).
- vacri 15y agoJobs was one of the captains of US industry - who else should the head of government turn to for specialist advice on business? If your head of government isn't talking to the captains of industry, then there's something wrong - it's not just a US thing.
- kanamekun 15y agoGreat point! He actually almost insisted on it: Jobs seemed to insist that he interact only with Obama ("On the meeting, Jobs insisted that Obama himself ask for a personal invitation"). He also got annoyed when he was forced to interact with Obama's aides, especially when they didn't do everything he said: * "Jobs suggested that Obama meet six or seven other CEOs who could express the needs of innovative businesses — but when White House aides added more names to the list, Jobs insisted that it was growing too big and that “he had no intention of coming.”" * "Jobs even offered to help create Obama’s political ads for the 2012 campaign. “He had made the same offer in 2008, but he’d become annoyed when Obama’s strategist David Axelrod wasn’t totally deferential." You gotta give Steve Jobs credit for chutzpah!
- jayfuerstenberg 15y agoI see them as two leaders in their respective fields just talking shop.
- ajays 15y agoI would too. Just because he sits on a special chair doesn't put him above me. Now, I may respect a man for what he's _done_ ; but in Obama's case, that isn't much (ex Obama volunteer & donor here).