Common Ground, Uncommon Leadership
The leader we need to bridge the divide
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Doug was raised here on Dover Road in Bay Village. He has always been dedicated to public service and has always believed that politics can be a noble calling and can change the world for the better. The first spark to public service was winning a Rotary Club speech scholarship entitled “If you’re old enough to fight, you are old enough to vote.”
While at Bowling Green State University in 1974, Doug was elected president of student government with a diversified ticket—blacks, whites, women, men, gay, conservative, liberal, jocks, freaks. This was before diversity was much of a concept in politics.
Doug has been an entrepreneur for the past 40 years, helping start hundreds of recruitment businesses in the USA and 40 countries. These companies have filled more than 150,000 jobs. His clients have changed companies for the better and found people jobs where they could do the best work of their lives.
All this has deepened his belief that there are ties and values that bind people together everywhere.
A Lifetime of Civic Activism
Doug has spent about 25 years in the Democratic Party and 20 years with the Republicans. He has supported candidates in both parties, measuring them by their deeds and character, which goes beyond politics or party. He will build compromise and bridges of trust between parties and between people, paying particular attention to Independents who hold the key to America’s future.
Improving relations between the community and the Cleveland Police through the Cleveland Police Foundation.
Bringing kids together from all walks of life on the stage with the Near West Theatre.
Helping reduce bullying and violence in schools with Values in Action.
Promoting and supporting legal immigration and refugee support with Global Cleveland.
Providing housing and support to low-income communities with Our Lady of the Wayside.
Who Doug Supports and Admires
Doug has spent about 25 years in the Democratic Party and 20 years with the Republicans. He can and will work with both parties. He can almost guarantee you that this is a wider spectrum of political views than one will ever see—and yet, they are the kind of people who pull together and get things done. They are Doug’s kind of people!
The following people simply show his view that he can work right across the spectrum and rise above labeling: Bush II/ R, Hart/D, Obama/D, JFK/RFK/D, Romney/R, Kerry/D. Kucinich/D, Springer/D, Fingerhut/D, Tubbs-Jones/D, Zone/D, Hoke/R, Portman/R, Obama/D, Celeste/D, S. Brown/D, Feighan/D, Voinovich/R, Hagan/D, Clinton/D, Metzenbaum/D, Kasich/R, Metzenbaum/D, Gore/D, Joyce/R, LaTourette/R, Cimperman/D, Coyne/R, Cheney/R,Patton/R, Bibb/D, Gibbons/R, Fisher/D, J. (Jerry) Brown/D, Reagan/R, Ronayne/D,John Anderson/I, and Joe Manchin, who is essentially an Independent.
Doug Bugie respects leaders and has had the privilege to work with Dick Pogue, Stuart Muszynski, Brandon Chrostowski, Lindsey Smith, Jay Foran, Jerry Austin, Mary Catherine Barrett, John Shepherd, Roger Synenberg, Dick Clough, Jimmy Craciun, Bernie Moreno, Tom Johnston, Ray Marvar, Rick DeChant, Terry Davis, Lucy and Lisa Stickhan, Stephanie Morrison-Hrbek, Joy Roller, Jan Roller, Mark Owens, Stuart Muszynski, Roger Synenberg, Brandon Chrostowski, and U.S. Ambassador to Ireland, Ed Crawford.
He has great respect for Judges Fitzsimmons, Synenberg, Kennedy, Lambros, Barker, and Polster, and holds in the utmost esteem the late Bill Denihan, Arne De La Porte, Joe Jerome, Sam Krasney, and Alan Schonberg.
He greatly admires Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela. He wishes Colin Powell had run for President. He believes Winston Churchill was the greatest leader of the 20th Century. And Abe Lincoln is his true north star whose values and words will help us heal America...again. History and politics have shown the greatest leaders have forged great compromises and made great strides forward, at times going above their parties:
- Lincoln and Grant: Backed the Reconstruction of the Union, and Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which led to his assassination.
- Franklin D. Roosevelt: Social Security and the New Deal.
- Dwight Eisenhower: WWII leading general, warned about the Military Industrial Complex.
- Truman: Stood down General Douglas MacArthur.
- John F. Kennedy: Challenged the USA to go to the moon. Challenged all of us to “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country”, which still rings true.
- Robert F. Kennedy: Recognized the "deplorables" of Appalachia and brought them into the American consciousness and mainstream.
- Lydon B. Johnson: A Southerner getting the Voting Right Act passed in 1964.
- Richard Nixon: Anti-Communist opening China. Signed off on the Environmental Protection Agency.
- Reagan: Built a relationship with Gorbachev, leading to the Fall of the Berlin Wall, and was the first to allow Dreamers to remain in the country.
- Jimmy Carter: Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel.
- Jesse Jackson: Won the South Carolina and Michigan presidential primaries, opening a lot of eyes, including mine.
- Clinton: Recognized it should be workfare for benefits vs open-ended welfare. Last President to balance the budget.
- George Bush I: Coined “A thousand points of light" and was an early proponent of compassionate conservatism.
- George Bush II: Teamed up with Sen Ted Kennedy to pass "No Child Left Behind."
Want to learn more about Doug’s work in the community?
Check out the archive as well as Doug's detailed platform.