New Start With Familiar Faces

At first glance, it doesn’t look much like “change.” We recognize many of the faces in Obama’s future cabinet from the Clinton era. But whoever expected anything different doesn’t really understand what the new President plans to do – namely, to dismantle and carry off the mountain of problems his predecessor has bequeathed him. Considering two wars, an economic crisis and other truly Herculean tasks like reforming the health care system, Obama cannot afford to surround himself with young, inexperienced idealists. He needs professionals who know how to go about getting controversial new laws through congress. And he needs centrist-minded people seeking the most plausible solutions rather than driving the opposition to the barricades.

That’s why it was wise and strategically clever to name Hillary Clinton his future Secretary of State. For one thing, he can depend on the Senator’s expertise. Additionally, she became extremely loyal to her one-time rival during the presidential campaign. Politically, they’re two peas in a pod. While it’s true Clinton at first supported the Iraq invasion, during the campaign she supported, as Obama did, an accelerated withdrawal of troops. Talk of supposed danger to an Obama administration from the powerful Clinton camp has long since been overcome by a new balance of power.

By including his most bitter opponent in his inner circle, Obama has shown his own great stature. He tolerates the notion of more experienced and politically successful people sitting at his cabinet table; people who will, he hopes, even occasionally disagree with him. It’s also a positive signal for Democrats that Obama is not someone likely to play petty power games.

Obama never tried to peddle his brand of “change” as revolution. To him, change means solving future problems without wearing ideological blinders. That alone is a fresh start.