Much media hay is being made of the possibility that President-Elect Barack Obama will stock his administration with old enemies, even up to appointing Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State. This possible move is heralded as a real change from Washington politics as usual, and it is even drawing comparisonsto the way Abraham Lincoln filled his administration positions. However, I wouldn’t be so sure that is the real root cause of Obama’s possible appointment of Hillary Clinton to the position of Secretary of State. To paraphrase Michael Corleone in The Godfather II:“Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.” By appointing rivals to positions of power in his administration, Obama accomplishes several things that work to Obama’s benefit. First and foremost, Obama’s rivals are now in his debt, which renders them easier to control. For example, given that the media is trying to paint this as a magnanimous gesture by Obama, it would seem rather churlish and disloyal of the appointees to deviate too far outside the administration line on any number of controversial issues.
Also, it gives the appointees a personal stake in seeing an Obama Administration succeed. Personally, if my name and face are on a product, project, or piece of legislation then I don’t want it to fail, as the citizens and media would always remember that failure, and hold it against my record. Any rivals that Obama would appoint would also not be able to work in the Senate or House of Representatives to author / co-author big time legislation which would undermine Obama’s own agenda. A prime example of that is Hillary Clinton, who would have to give up her New York Senate seat if given the job of Secretary of State. Given the way politics works in Washington, Hillary would be virtually choice less in backing an Obama Health Care plan, instead of forcing a possible showdown in Congress. Ultimately, I cannot read President-Elect Barack Obama’s mind, so this is pure speculation on my part. However, I do believe it to be informed and logical speculation, given the way politicians of all stripes operate in taking and preserving their personal power. It will be very interesting to see what other rivals Obama may bring into his fold, and as a result we may be able to see if he is removing and/or minimizing potential obstacles for his agenda.
Mike Grant — Samnite Gladiator
Mike,
I believe Hillary clearly proved she is not an enemy when she and President Clinton campaigned all over the country for him.
I believe a political campaign is like a football game. The two teams go out and try to brutalize one another for three hours. Most of the time, there are dirty tackles and blocks. And rarely do we see a game that a fist fight doesn’t break out. But when the game is over, they not only shake hands but hug each other. And we are speaking about professional athletes consumed with bullshit macho bravado and with much larger egos than politicians, who rarely believe they are indestructible and beyond reproach — Richard Nixon and Dick Cheney notwithstanding.
Glenn’s point is valid, Mike’s is the more correct in terms of political positioning. Well done, Mike!