Barack Obama seems to be assembling his Cabinet in such a way as to encourage lively debate among the members of his administration. Does he hope that by doing so, he can pull from a variety of ideas and solutions for the country's many problems, or is there something else going on? As my friend Conartist pointed out, President-elect Obama is effectively knocking out any future competition he may have from the Democratic Party in 2012. Is this a brilliant move that will bring about the best in his administration, or is this a shrewd political calculation that will simply undercut the competition and make it a certainty for Obama's nomination in 2012? Let's look at some of his main appointments before we decide.
1. Hillary Clinton- Secretary of State. Let us begin by noting that during the primaries, Barack Obama said that Hillary's foreign policy experience amounted to not much more than "having tea" with visiting foreigners. I think it is safe to pass that off as just another primary attack, but if President Obama really thinks that then why would he appoint her to lead the nation's foreign service? Realistically, Ms. Clinton is the most likely challenger to the office of POTUS. By making her Sec. of State, he draws her into the the decisions and, more importantly the consequences of those decisions, of the Obama Administration, thereby making it nearly impossible for her to run again in 2012. Admittedly, Ms. Clinton does have more experience being around the office of the President than most any other person in America. Not to mention her experience as a Senator from New York, or her time spent as a high-powered attorney. The facts are that while she is probably not the person with the most foreign policy experience, she is a person who knows how to lead effectively, and that will serve her well in her new post. In my opinion, President Obama did quite well in appointing her.
2. Robert Gates- Secretary of Defense. Let me start by saying that I highly doubt President Obama is worried about Robert Gates running for his post in 2012, but it is still an interesting pick that deserves a closer look. Obama had always said that he would put Republicans in his cabinet, but after his vocal opposition to the war in Iraq, I don't think many people thought he would keep one on as Secretary of Defense. In all honesty I think they are right. It would make sense for Obama to keep him on during the early months of his presidency, to help smooth the transition from Bush's administration into his. I feel that after a few months the new president will ask for Mr. Gates' resignation and appoint someone who is more in line with his own policy views.
3. Secretary of Homeland Security- Janet Napolitano. As Governor of Arizona, Ms. Napolitano has made quite a name for herself across the United States for being both popular and strong in her position. This puts her far enough away from Washington politics for a run as an outsider, and yet close enough to get in with the right people, to make a run for the Presidency more than just a long-shot. She will now head up an agency that is relatively new, while making decisions that hold much sway over the popularity of the new president with the people. This puts her closer to the administration than most. Was she the best qualified for the job? Maybe not. Maybe a Michael Bloomberg or Richard Clarke would have been better suited for the position but, once again, few people in America have the executive experience necessary to run a department like DHS.
This is just a small sample of what President Obama's Cabinet will look like. Has he effectively erased all competition for the Democratic nomination in 2012? Not a chance. There are still many contenders out there with immense popularity that might consider a run if things don't go well, but he has certainly eliminated a few. Has he nominated all the best people for their particular jobs? From my removed point of view, probably not, but they might be the people with the most ability to work with him and his administration. Only time will tell if they are truly qualified enough to hold their positions.
2 comments:
Well I'm not sure about the notion of Obama trying to assimilate future competition into his administration - you could very well be right, but at this point its hard to tell, and as you noted there are still many others that could run for the democratic party.
I would guess part of his strategy has to do with 'uniting the nation,' and many of the people, while they will do their jobs well, have been picked because of the images they create and the views they supposedly hold. Gates, as you note, is a good example of that, as is Clinton. By picking a somewhat diverse cabinet, he is bringing in people from many areas, which will (supposedly) help unite the public behind the administration.
Unfortunately, not many (if any) of the people he has picked fall in line with his (seemingly liberal) campaign strategy of change. However, only time will tell.
It's funny you mention the liberal campaign strategy, because honestly I haven't seen it, even though it is really what I expected after the election.
Another interesting theory I've heard put forth is that he is appointing people who can handle the departments on their own while he concentrates on his "pet issues" in domestic policy. Just something to think about..
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