As the president-elect begins to unveil his cabinet and staff appointments, I’m filled with admiration for the boldness of some of his choices, but a growing sense of mistrust at the apparent cynicism of some of the selections. It seems that for the sake of political expediency, he is dispensing with some of the pledges he made as a candidate.
With James L. Jones as National Security Adviser, Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, and with Robert Gates rumored to remain as Secretary of Defense, the new president will have a national security team, committed to securing the victory in Iraq, wary of an overhasty withdrawal and not blinded by ideology to the threats abroad.
But, recall how Obama made rapid withdrawal from Iraq his signature issue in the campaign’s early stages? He used his longstanding opposition to the war to rally the party’s left-wing base and distinguish himself from Mrs. Clinton.
He has long since left that rhetoric behind. Instead of hope and change, Victor Davis Hanson sees the president-elect parceling out posts to:
Clintonite retreads, plenty of the old requisite Ivy-League law degrees, ample influence from establishment ex-lobbyists, de rigueur Sidwell Friends for the kids, and apparent sudden existential angst and uncertainty over FISA, getting out pronto from Iraq, closing down the Constitution-shredding Gitmo, and overturning the McCarthyite Patriot Act — and all to acclaim and relief from aristocratic Beltway pundits of both parties? So that was all the election was about? Just new faces on the same old, same old? And relief that Treasury, the National Security Advisorship, and Defense will be in the hands of well-known centrists? And at least on national and homeland security it is perhaps not the shadow of Bill Clinton, but of George W. Bush, that now begins to loom large?
Had Obama not campaigned as “new kind of politician,” I might trust him more. But, had he not so campaigned, he would not be where he is today.
To be sure, some of his appointments demonstrate his intelligence and political savvy. He knows the country is not where his primary campaign was. And he certainly recognizes that the fall campaign was decided not on foreign policy, but the economy. Indeed, in the first debate (ostensibly) dedicated to foreign policy, the Democrat reassured Americans by readily agreeing with his Republican rival on a number of national security issues.
His appointments do signal a shift away from his campaign rhetoric and toward the more sensible defense policies John McCain espoused. Jonah Goldberg thinks this shift suggests the president-elect might just be “just a cynical, conventional, politician who brilliantly played his supporters’ idealism against them to get power.”
A cynical politician he may be, but he could end up being a successful president. While there is increasing evidence of his cynicism, there are signs which suggest success. For that success or lack thereof, we’ll just have to wait and see.
UPDATE:Â Via Glenn, Jules Crittenden weighs in:
As heartening as it may be to see evidence of common sense, the concern going forward is that Obama has shown himself to be lacking principles as well as a spine. Not good traits in a wartime president, particularly in times of economic turmoil.
I can’t help but recall how with every appointment GWB announced of someone with experience, all the talking heads spoke about how he needed to do this to add “gravitas” until we all got sick of the word. We are not hearing any of that kind of undercutting with the Oppointments
Maybe the specter of responsibility has pushed Obama a little bit towards Reality Road… of course, that could be wishful thinking on my part.
For our sake, let’s hope he does a good job. (Insert obligatory slam at W.)
We’ll know more when Congress begins sending him bills to sign. It was never his appointments that worried me (other than William Ayres, Secretary of Education?), it was–and IS–the actions he and his maniac Dem Congress might take. And the promises, implied and real, that he made to his supporters.
I have a feeling gas prices will rise again (assuming this recession/depression passes), as will electric bills. If he tries to keep his promise to “stop the oceans from rising,” we’re dead.
#1–I guess the selection of Joe Biden has rendered it unnecessary for Obama to pursue any further “gravitas”!
3: Gee, thanks for yet another unnecessary mention of William Ayres. Will you too be selling Ayres Fresheners on QVC?
ALL
The posts, again have the essence of the problem. The first and most visible tier of appointees is almost in place. THese are the folks that will hog the limelight, parade around the podium, but the second and third tier of appointees, that we may never hear about, actually are the ground troops. THese are the implementers, the conference room troops, that make the legislation, the executive orders effective. These are the ones that labored so hard to get Mr Obama in place. Folks from OSI, CPUSA, Democratic Strategy, Center for American PRogress and every Chicago pol available will carry the ball. Look for their names in the reports due to come out in the early months of legislative efforts.
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Why does Bill Ayers scare you so, Kevin?
Is the fact that Obama’s a close friend of a man who believes in killing to make his beliefs known so disturbing to you that you have to slight any reference?
Is the fact that Obama started his career working with a man who equates Sirhan Sirhan and Harriet Tubman in the same book dedication keeping you up late at night?
Or is it the fact that there are people around you who can critque and compliment ‘The One’ disturbing you?
Please, enlighten us why you have to minimize Obama’s friendship with an unrepentant terrorist, yet you won’t even stick your head into the comments about Obama stabbing the gay community, again.
Kevin,
I mention Prof. Ayers only because he would seem to be Obama’s logical pick to head the Department of Education. After all, Prof. Ayers teaches education courses at the UIC and participated with Obama in disbursing funds for the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, created to “improve” education. Okay, by no measurable means was Chicago’s education “improved,” but we only count intentions, right?
From his college years to his year or two at a law firm to ACORN to CAC, Obama has embraced and furthered radical activism, whether involving suing or storming banks and confronting bank presidents at their homes in order to, uh, “convince” them to extend more loans to the poor, or advising his ACORN trainees to “get in their faces” to convince voters to choose Obama.
The only reason he might NOT choose activist/unrepentant-terrorist Ayers for the top position at Education would be that the choice of Ayers might lead to inquiries into the Obama/Ayers relationship, albeit too late to affect Obama’s election (certainly it’s better that Obama maintain his image of, what, perfection? for as long as possible).
But if Ayers is not available for the position, there surely is an Ayers acolyte who could fill the position and further the Obama/Ayers dream of improving America, one child at a time (much as they did in Chicago).
DO Google Chicago Annenberg Challenge to understand their relationship more fully. Maybe read Stanley Kurtz’s piece on how he was promised, then denied, access to CAC records stored at UIC. Verrry interesting.
Dan, I totally share your thoughts. So far, Pres. Elect Obama has been, frankly, much more to my liking than I expected, not in proving his devotion to principles but in showing wisdom in how it seems he’ll govern. (And if I am feeling fairly okay with what I’m seeing from him, the Kos kids can’t be too happy.) If there are reasons for cynicism about him, it happened not since the election but following the primaries, when Sen. Obama thrust himself toward the middle. Since that time, he’s given both the middle and the left reasons to feel comfortable with him, even though he ultimately wouldn’t be able to please both. Now that the election is over, we’re starting to see which group it appears he’ll be loyal to, and it’s not the hard left. To be sure, it’s still very early—he’s still two months away from actually becoming President, and I have no doubt that he will do many things I disagree with when in office, even if he is surprisingly moderate. Even so, I get this strange feeling that I’ll be routing for Pres. Obama, as he will be our only hope of keeping the Pelosi-Reid tag team in check.
I agree with cme’s comments. I try not to evaluate any politician on what he or she says, but rather look at actions. So far I am also impressed with the folks that the Dali Bama (I’m still not giving that up) has selected for his administration. I do think that although liberal, the choices are mostly intelligent, thoughful, and practical, and that provides a sharp contrast to Pelosi/Reid/Waxman/Frank, et al. Before the election a person whose opinion I greatly trust made the comment that Obama seemed to be a genuinely good person who would try to do his best for everyone. I dismissed that at the time, but that might be a good assessment. We will see.