I am tired of listening to political debate in the media today. Both the politicians and the media interviewing and reporting on them have it all wrong. The fundamental problem is that the discussions are all focused on the wrong issues.

Anyone who has ever taken a project management class or who has the slightest experience in running a successful project to completion knows that project success is based on the articulation of the goals, strategies and tactics and their implementation.

You start with the goals, then develop the strategies to get there, then the tactics to implement the strategies. The entire team must buy into the same set of goals, strategies and tactics. You have to start at the top and get agreement on the goals, then agreement on the strategies, then agreement on the tactics. That is the only successful way of completing a project.

What kind of house will you have built if you have five contractors all working on the same house, at the same time, but each working from different blueprints, and each saying their blueprints are the right ones? You will have a staircase going to a non existent third floor, a bathroom with no plumbing, and maybe two front doors and no back door.

If you disagree on goals, there is no basis for debate on tactics. We are talking at each other, never finding a compromise. This is the state we are in today.

Our country is a team. If there is anyone in our country who is not 100% in favor of our collective success, they should be kicked out. I don’t think there is any politician or citizen who wants us, as a country, to fail.

The problem is that we never spend any time in public debate on goals or strategies. Instead, we debate tactics. Go to war or don’t?, raise taxes or lower them?, add a tax to carbon usage or not?, change the tax on gasoline or not? These are all tactics. If our goals differ, how can we even have a meaningful debate on what tactics to use?

I wish there was more discussion on the goals. Then we can address the strategies to get there, and then the tactics. What do we all as American’s wish to end up with 1 year, 2 years, 4 years, 10 years and 25 years from now?

We have to find the common ground, then decide how to get there, and what it will cost. We aren’t even having this debate, and no one is outraged that we are being distracted from making the really difficult decisions that will ultimate result from these debates.

Is our goal energy independence in 10 years? If it is, what is the strategy to get there? What are the tactics we will use. I want to hear both sides agree on the same goal, then they can debate the strategies, then the tactics.

So far, all I hear is vague generalizations and an immediate argument about carbon taxes, or off shore drilling, or coal plants or smart grids. These are all reactionary tactics that float in space without a strategic plan. How can you debate whether any of these actions are good or bad without an overall plan?

We need to be more demanding of our political leaders to clearly articulate their goals, strategies and tactics, and focus the debate at the top. The media is just as much at fault in not asking for this level of accountability.

Is anyone listening?