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He’s Baaaack!
5 days ago
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Apres L'Honeymoon, Le Deluge, Oui.
Only two weeks to the day Barack Obama was elected, and it's already happened: Left wing bloggers have gone to Defcon 2.
Getting here was remarkably and understandably easy. First, as Team Obama started getting assembled with familiar names, stories came wafting out of Chicago that raised more than a few eyebrows. Next, the leaking that Obama was considering making Hillary Clinton Secretary of State created an atmosphere equivalent to the blogger version of a PUMA mentality. Then, today, the much anticipated private ballot vote on what to do with Joe Lieberman; which led to results that at best could be called pragmatic, but feel grossly disappointing.
(If the world of politics were the nuclear holocaust, surely Lieberman is the cockroach in that environment.)
Howard Dean capping that adventure by saying he wasn't bothered by the outcome, as it was what Obama had wanted...Well, it was entirely the wrong thing to say.
I am reminded of the episode of Frontline, that aired about a month ago, called The Choice. In the segment dedicated to Obama's stint as the president of the Harvard Law Review, they interview other Review members, liberals and conservatives, first about their surprise, then about the jubilation the liberals felt at finally having a chance to have their views be the prevalent bias of the Review. Only to have those expectations dashed when Obama wouldn't bend to their every whim.
This is the only thing that tempers my reaction to the events described above.
Obama said he wanted to see a government that engaged the populace. Well, he's succeeded with me; I am now paying attention to every damn thing that's coming out of that camp.
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All while keeping a close eye on the lame duck as well. It seems he and his minions are going around trying to leave their mark in subtle and insidious ways.
If that's not enough to cause some alarm, here's an example of the kind of thing his administration is capable of when they think no one is watching.
Or there's always Katrina, Gitmo, Plame, etc. etc. ad nauseum.
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4 comments:
god that article on the EPA is so absolutely frightening (linked in last paragraph)... i can't believe the inhumanity... all eyes, ears, voices, hands on deck.
In this last election, something close to eighty congressional seats in districts that Dubya won in '04 went to Dems. Conversely, only five Repubs won seats in Kerry districts. We also saw multiple Dems win senate seats in traditionally "red" states (NH, NC, VA for example). I listened to Amy Walter (of the National Journal) discuss the idea of "bipartisanship" on the News Hour last night, and she brought up these statistics to speak to the point that we won't find success by swinging the pendulum to the left right off the bat. Yes, we voted for change, but as loathe as I am to admit it we have to take baby steps. (No, really... I am loathe to admit this. I've been saving my beer bottles for Molotov cocktails, and now I think I gotta turn 'em in for the nickels.)
I remember that segment on Frontline as well, Jose, and took it as an example of Obama sussing out his options and making the best choice given the circumstance, not the ideology. I sure hope I'm right.
Besides, what's wrong with a little Chicago muscle after eight years of Texas airhead?
Please don't mistake my intentions here...Beyond wanting to see Lieberman actually pay for his misdeeds, I have a wait and see attitude about all this; and even then I could be talked down from my disappointment; much as Bob Cesca did with his piece in the HuffPo today.
More than anything else I was trying to convey the feel of the events leading to the end of the honeymoon.
I got the same thing from that episode of Frontline you did, in other words, and I want to start seeing results before I start condemning the administration to come (instead of joining the angry chorus of our blogging peers).
That piece in the Washington Independent would've given me cause for concern, regardless of the city it originated from. You're right, though, better than anything we've been getting over the last eight years.
nobody in their right minds should expect change fast without a bloody, violent revolution or military coup.
i was a bit disappointed regarding Lieberman's situation, but quickly realized that, as one of two independents, the Dem. senators (56 now, 57 if Franken squeaks it out), need the 2 indies to vote with them...and that still doesn't give them the 60 filibuster-proof majority. there's tons of political wrangling/angling going on right now in Washington.
having lived there 20 years i will tell you this about the "inside the beltway" mentality. NOBODY AND NOTHING OUTSIDE OF THAT CIRCLE COUNTS. it's an unbelievably insular world of governance, cocktail parties, fundraisers, dinners, etc. there is a good chance things will change a bit w/the new administration, but overall i need to tell you/us guys/gals this: we are the outsiders, always will be (in our lifetimes). what i have hope for is that slowly, over time, enough of "us" rattle the cage bars that the momentum begins to swing. just a bit.
baby steps indeed. but don't you all for one minute think that somehow we've been able to hold the president's ear; we haven't yet. we are lucky he's open to dialogue, however.
i am somewhat disappointed in a Clinton era cabinet taking shape, though i realize that's how it's done in Washington (keep your eyes open for the usual track records). the bush 2 admin. were stallwarts from Reagan and Nixon.
i have hope, despite all i've said. most days, that is. but that's a huge improvement over the last decade.
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