The Obama Cabinet - What Obama's Choices Say About Him
Posted: Friday, December 05, 2008
by Coddie Adwar
The Coyote Report
The Obama transition team, watching the financial crisis continue to deepen, realized they had to send quickly a message of assurance to try to bring stability to the markets. Consequently a popular pick was chosen for the Secretary of Treasury: Tim Geithner, who has Wall Street's vote of confidence. Mr. Geithner has been a career Treasury official since 1998. In November 2003, he became president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, which oversees the NY markets. He is an intelligent man who understands the financial crisis and the problems creating the credit crunch we are facing. He worked under Robert Rubin and Larry Summers in the Clinton Administration.
Barack Obama made another wise choice in keeping Robert Gates as Secretary of Defense, to provide a measure of continuity for fighting our two wars. He also persuaded Marine General James Jones to take the post of National Security Adviser.
Obama seems to have absorbed one of the arguments Hillary Clinton's campaign made against him; that "it takes experience to make change happen". He will begin his Presidency by surrounding himself with intelligent and politically adept people who have a demonstrated ability to get things done. In this present crisis, America needs its best and brightest. The fact that he is building a team of qualified, strongly opinionated pragmatists says "he can handle disagreement and in fact welcomes it". Obama has been self-assured enough to appoint as Secretary of State, his previous rival, Hillary Clinton, who more than demonstrated her own toughness by giving the president-elect a running battle last spring.
Barack Obama has been reading Doris Kearns Godwin's book "Team of rivals" which, by his own description is "a spectacular book on leadership, showing how Lincoln crafted a diverse group of people who wanted to mess with him, but still they were competent". In the formation of his Cabinet, Obama is following the model provided by Abraham Lincoln, one of our greatest presidents, demonstrating a profound change from George Bush, who generally preferred "Yes men," to considerations of competence. In this, Barack Obama is demonstrating a greatness of spirit that America sorely needs. When he says "buck stops here," I believe he means it.
A few have expressed concern that Obama is relying too much on veterans of President Clinton's administration. Does that necessarily make it like traveling back to a Clintonite future? The fact is, where else could Barack Obama find "tested experts" that share his ideology? Certainly, not many in the Bush administration! Some hold the romantic notion that ordinary smarties, with mere academic qualifications untested in the rough world of politics, should come to Washington, roll up their sleeves and clean house! With so many problems to solve, "learning on the job" would cost this country too much.
The genius of America is that once every 30 years or so, it's been able to come up with a great President just about the time we really need one. So far, we've been lucky. Barack Obama is showing some signs, now, that maybe we got lucky again. God knows we need it!
Coddie Adwar
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Top-level comments on this article: (3 total)"The genius of America is that once every 30 years or so, it's been able to come up with a great President just about the time we really need one." I find that observation interesting, though I have not searched the historical basis of it. Well-written article, Coddie. I read you as an objective and pragmatic observer, with the interest of your country at heart. Thanks for writing. ~mogama~
Hi Coddie, I appreciate your style. You give good information without trying to sway your reader. Love it, love it, love it. Blessings to you
Coddie and excellent article and the quote from your article sums it all up. The fact is, where else could Barack Obama find "tested experts" that share his ideology?Nothing else need be said. Best wishes, good job.
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