Obama’s First Steps Are Making Centrists Hopeful
By Justin Gardner | Related entries in Barack, Good Decisions
Earlier today, Doug highlighted an article from the NY Times about Obama stocking his cabinet with non-partisan picks, and Kevin Bliss of What Should Be did the same.
Here’s what Doug had to say about it…
For all the rhetoric from John McCain, Sarah Palin, and the right-wing scream machine that Barack Obama was a socialist who would drag America further to the left, his first few weeks as President-Elect reveal something entirely different [...]Cabinet choices like Bill Richardson for Commerce, Eric Holder for Attorney General, and Janet Napalitano for Homeland Security don’t exactly fall into the far-left category, either.
All of this suggests that the Obama Administration will be more like the Clinton Administration than some ascendant Far Left nightmare concocted after listening to too much Sean Hannity.
Kevin shares this hopeful sentiment…
Perhaps it’s too early sing hallelujahs but the news concerning President-elect Obama’s key appointments is music to a centrist ear. It increases the chances this President could be a great one. [...]There’s also indications that President-elect Obama intends to nominate [General] James L. Jones to be his national security advisor. This is also incredibly good news. [...]
My familiarity with the General comes from his work as the head of the Institute for 21st Century Energy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Such an appointment would mean that there really will be someone who has President Obama’s ear who knows something, in fact quite a lot, about energy and the national security implications of our dependence upon foreign oil. [...]
It would mean that for the first time in a long time this country would have a chance of crafting a rational and balanced national energy strategy. Republicans have traditionally excluded environmentalists from a full seat at the policy table and Democrats have traditionally excluded anyone who knows anything about energy. This would shake things up.
Obviously is too earlier to tell what type of President Obama will be, but the “First 100 Days” is vital to any presidency and it appears as if Obama’s is shaping up to be one of consensus building, not partisan warfare.
If that proves true, he’ll be off to a tremendous start.
Fingers crossed.
This entry was posted on Saturday, November 22nd, 2008 and is filed under Barack, Good Decisions. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
November 22nd, 2008 at 8:41 pm
I think this is great news that Obama is doing this. I sincerely hope that this administration will be bi-partisan and focus more on helping get us out of this financial mess we are in. http://www.itaffectsus.com
November 22nd, 2008 at 9:43 pm
The Bush administration thought that everything you did had to be aimed towards the next campaign, not towards solving the country’s problems. I think that the Obama team realizes that (Especially in today’s crisis situation.) that if you govern well you’ve just started your campaign without pushing partisan politics.
November 23rd, 2008 at 9:31 am
The unique thing about being prez is that you need to represent all of America, not just your blue or red state constituents. The centrist approach is the only way to get this done. No matter what Obama does will be labelled as Left wing, but if his actions help all americans, the only thing the right wing would have would be the wedge issues. We need to push these people to the sidelines, and make them irrelevant. Yes we need to get out of Iraq, that will help the economy, yes we need to get off oil (not just foreign oil), yes we need to keep pressure on jihadists (that fight wasn’t in Iraq, till we brought it there), we need to work with other countries. These are all things Obama campaigned on. Now we need to make this an approach that all americans can agree on. This will need to be a centrist approach. And an approach we haven’t seen in the last 8 years.
November 23rd, 2008 at 12:08 pm
There’s a world of difference between legislating as a flaming liberal and governing as one. It’s a credit to Obama that he recognizes this.
One thing I am concerned about is that Obama, still being rather inexperienced at governing, will rely too much on his cabinet and other advisers to do most of the heavy lifting during his administration. They may have the experience that Obama lacks, but if they aren’t on the same page, or are too attached to their own agendas or ways of doing things, Obama’s presidency could become as dysfunctional as Bush’s in a hurry.
Obama needs to lead, where Bush couldn’t. Can he? We’re about to find out.
November 23rd, 2008 at 1:28 pm
This is a good start thus far for Obama and he seems to learn from past Democratic administration that have start off on the wrong path. No boday from the left and from the right will be 100% satified with some of his appointment. But governing from the center is what most Americans want and not the divided partism politics that we have seen over the last 8 years.
December 17th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
[...] DHS security honcho, sees reason to be optimistic. He puts his hope in emerging leaders, like Janet Napolitano, rising to the fore and making the most of bully pulpits. Napolitano will take over the reins of a [...]