What could Obama possibly learn form CEOs? He knows everything.
-----
Jobs' Meeting With Obama
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.
"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.
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.
Aiding Obama's Reelection Campaign
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." In preparation for the dinner, Jobs
exhibited his notorious attention to detail, telling venture capitalist
John Doerr that the menu of shrimp, cod and lentil salad was "far too
fancy" and objecting to a chocolate truffle dessert. But he was overruled
by the White House, which cited the president's fondness for cream pie.
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. 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," writes Isaacson. Jobs later told the
author that he wanted to do for Obama what the legendary "morning in
America" ads did for Ronald Reagan.