maverick n. [after Samuel Maverick (1803–70), Texas rancher who did not brand his cattle] 1. an unbranded animal, esp. a strayed calf, formerly the legitimate property of the first person who branded it. 2. [Colloq.] a person who takes an independent stand, as in politics, refusing to conform to that of his party or group.
leader, n. 1. a person or thing that leads; directing, commanding, or guiding head, as of a group or activity. . . .
— Webster's New World Dictionary of the American Language, 2nd College Edition, 1979.
A maverick makes a poor leader. How would a maverick work with Congress on the future of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac?
"McCain would be inclined toward a more radical solution, though Obama might have a better chance at a less radical solution," said Gerald O'Driscoll, a former vice president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas and now a scholar at the Cato Institute in Washington. "But both of them face a Democratic Congress that is very wedded to these two firms as they exist."
—McCain May Privatize Fannie, Freddie; Obama Sees Federal Role, Bloomberg.com, September 9, 2008.
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