Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Talking Left, Governing Right (of left)
Obama talk hard left leading up to the primaries and during the primaries, but I am beginning to think he is a leftest only because he associated with leftests. He seems to be easily influence and persuaded about things he is told, true or not. In that sense, I am encouraged. He seems to be choosing people for his administration who know how the world works (not that I agree with the direction the want to go). He has assembled a good team of economists who understand the market economy. If he can stay away from all the leftest chatter he has listened to all his life and instead listen to these new people he is choosing, I will feel much better about our economic chances as a nation. Although Bush has done good work in terms of national security, he has been horrifically bad on the economy. Hank Paulson is horribly misguided and I can't wait until he is kicked out on January 15. Obama's economic team will have an easy time doing better than him.
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4 comments:
The mark of a good President is one who surrounds himself with wise, experienced advisors. Ronald Reagan seemed to get that right. I think Obama knows that too.
Bush's problems were first and foremost due to his choice of bad advisors and unwise appointments.
I'm sure many Obama appointments yet to be made will not fail to disappoint some, but I am pleased that he is not waiting until January to form a team. He must hit the ground running. Clinton was not so wise and his transition was clumsy and time consuming. He had that luxury perhaps: he didn't have to face two wars, a historic economic crisis, an international US image crisis, neo-despots in Latin America, to say nothing of a culture of Islamic terrorism that threatens the world (Bombay in crisis as I write this).
His apparent intent to keep Gates at the Pentagon as Secretary of Defense seems to me to be wise. Continuity in this arena is especially important.
I was not worried about his lack of experience as long as he chose advisors wisely. I expect him to be a fast learn, display wisdom that will surprise, and grow into a great president. But, of course, I have been disappointed before. I am hopeful. More hopeful than at any time in the past 10 years (that includes two Clinton years.)
I didn't vote for him, but I am still hopeful. I think he wants to do the right thing and will surround himself with good people, although I am sure I won't agree with his political views 100%.
I think that he is realizing the mantle of responsibility is a heavy one and that he has changed his stance on a few things because now he is making decisions with the knowledge and briefings that the President Bush has been recieving. It is easy to say one thing before you become president but then once you get all the info the president has at his hands that is confidential then one may have to revamp the promises made before becoming president elect.
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