Monday, December 1, 2008

New Politics

By now I am sure most of you have read plenty of blogs and articles about Obama's foreign policy/national security/economic teams. But I just had to mention how impressed I actually am. I've been desperate for Obama's fresh prospective:
"I assembled this team because I am a strong believer in strong personalities and strong opinions. I believe that's how the best decisions are made. One of the dangers in a White House, based on my reading of history, is that you get wrapped up in group-think and everybody agrees with everything and there's no discussion and there are no dissenting views. So I am going to be welcoming a vigorous debate inside the White House."
Stong, but all strong, and all different voices. From everything I've read the Bush White House was hijacked by such strong and commanding personalities as Cheney and Rumsfeld, that thinking became static, and dissent would have to circumvent the actual meetings where dissent and debate were the most necessary! Rice or Powell would have to find Bush alone to voice disagreement about Rumsfeld and Cheney's points of view. Instead of fostering that intense debate during the actual national security planning sessions Bush let the strongest personalities rule and politic.

Obama is the strong personality amongst his principles, and, as he says, he will be "responsible" for all decisions made, even, at times I'm sure, disagreeing with his VIP team. I am excited. Thoughts?

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