Office of the President-Elect
I have been impressed by Barack Obama’s White House transition. While I have never been an age to really examine the ascent of one President and the descent of another, one can assume from the great emphasis placed upon the, now-termed, Office of the President-Elect, a smoother and more efficient change can take place. One can hope, at least. I was never Barack Obama’s most fervent suporter, perhaps still holding a grudge on behalf of my primary candidate, Hillary Clinton, but I can certainly admit that I now believe in his ability to lead. Part of that has come about with his strong leadership in this transitionary period. Even on a well-deserved family vacation in Hawaii, he seemed to be working for the country. Blame the media’s bias or what you will, but to look like you are working when you are on holiday is impressive.
What I have particularly been astounded by is the great importance that has been placed upon the nomination (and investigation) of each would-be member of the new cabinet. The height of media speculation centered around the nominee for Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, who has since been confirmed for the position (with a quick-fix provided by the newly accommodating Bush administration). With an in-depth analysis of the breadth of hers and President Clinton’s investments and business dealings, the country saw how serious the Obama team was taking their message of change. Now it has become even more clear with former Presidential candidate Bill Richardson’s resignation from the Commerce Secretary position for which he was nominated.
Bill Richardson
I am torn with this resignation. I commend Richardson on his service to the country and acknowledge that he is a gifted peacemaker, being a former UN Ambassador under the Clinton administration and making ties with North Korea that have led to the (somewhat) deescalated tensions there. However, and this is where my grudge remains, he completely turned on Hillary Clinton during primary season to back Barack Obama. I should not be surprised: political stability often means trading personal opinions and ethics for those of the populace, meaning go with the flow. But this was such an obvious ploy to be a major player in the Obama administration by denying those who gave him the ability to be in this position. To have his finances now in question by federal prosecutors is yet another example of these same ethical values, though it must be noted that his guilt remains to be found.
I have no idea how the transition will actually run, though I think American confidence in the transition is much greater than would have otherwise occurred without these great efforts. If one poll is to be taken as representative of the entire country, nearly 75% of the country trusts the new administration’s work and thinks they are doing the right thing. Well done, marketing strategy of David Axelrod.
