Spring Break
Obama's choice of Clinton is just posturing
Megan Lynch
Issue date: 12/4/08 Section: Commentary
At the beginning of the week, President-elect Barack Obama announced some of his cabinet appointments. While there had been much talk about his plans to nominate former Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton for the Secretary of State post, it is hard to believe that Obama actually did it. Does anyone remember all the things that Obama and Clinton disagreed on during the campaign? Clinton's success as Secretary of State is not the issue I'm worried about - she has proven herself to be a highly capable politician - but why would Obama suddenly decide that she deserves the position? I see it as a politically manipulative move.
So far, America has seen Obama as its golden boy, the new peacemaker that we've all been looking for. You can bet that he's definitely going to try and keep it that way for as long as possible. Adding Clinton to his team despite their obvious differences is his way of showing us that he can accept his rivals as friends and respect their ideas. But Clinton's ideas are so different that it's not even practical to try and work together. How are they supposed to agree on anything? He has questioned her policy judgments so many times that Clinton should be insulted.
Now that Clinton is Obama's "dear friend," all past animosities are gone, right? Not so fast. If Obama really believes that Clinton is just going to deal with being directly under his rule, he's more na've than I thought he was. And since these are issues of foreign policy and national security, we cannot tolerate any more poor judgment or mistakes. With the wars in the Middle East and the recent terrorist attacks around the world, the U.S. needs a good team to protect it. If other countries notice weaknesses in Washington, they will take advantage of Obama's flaws.
Clinton's motives are probably not entirely sincere either. After she did not get the nod as Obama's Vice-President, she needed a reason to get back into the executive branch, and Obama gave her the perfect opportunity. Secretary of State puts her in a prominent position where she can prove to America that she is capable of leading the nation's security. She's not there for Obama; she is only there for herself and to further her political career.
So far, America has seen Obama as its golden boy, the new peacemaker that we've all been looking for. You can bet that he's definitely going to try and keep it that way for as long as possible. Adding Clinton to his team despite their obvious differences is his way of showing us that he can accept his rivals as friends and respect their ideas. But Clinton's ideas are so different that it's not even practical to try and work together. How are they supposed to agree on anything? He has questioned her policy judgments so many times that Clinton should be insulted.
Now that Clinton is Obama's "dear friend," all past animosities are gone, right? Not so fast. If Obama really believes that Clinton is just going to deal with being directly under his rule, he's more na've than I thought he was. And since these are issues of foreign policy and national security, we cannot tolerate any more poor judgment or mistakes. With the wars in the Middle East and the recent terrorist attacks around the world, the U.S. needs a good team to protect it. If other countries notice weaknesses in Washington, they will take advantage of Obama's flaws.
Clinton's motives are probably not entirely sincere either. After she did not get the nod as Obama's Vice-President, she needed a reason to get back into the executive branch, and Obama gave her the perfect opportunity. Secretary of State puts her in a prominent position where she can prove to America that she is capable of leading the nation's security. She's not there for Obama; she is only there for herself and to further her political career.
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Alex
posted 12/04/08 @ 12:31 PM EST
Why are you surprised that the move Obama made is for political reasons? This is politics. Besides don;t you think it is better to surround yourself with people that disagree with you in order to have a fair reflection of perspectives. (Continued…)
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