Obama – "Change" in the Election, Not in Office

Continuity instead of “Change:” this is what Barack Obama with the formation of his cabinet is seeking. The incoming president is sending a clear message, that the transition to the White House is neither a period of foreign policy weakness nor to usher in an era of experimentation. And that is a good thing.

Obama is for Continuity instead of “Change”

We don’t want to do everything different, but make it a lot better: this is how Gerhard Schröder recruited the fearful center in 1998. This also seems to be Barack Obama’s new motto. At any rate, his transition team wants to delineate the contours in the meantime; promises not “change”, but continuity. In the inner circle of power he is no visionary, but rather a proven pragmatist. And that is also a good thing.

Should Hillary Clinton, as is universally expected, actually become secretary of state, it would be just the clearest sign that Obama cannot use the audacity he conjured in the election for the White House. His first personnel decision seems thoroughly programmatic: Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel is an old friend, advisor and Campaign Manager of Bill Clinton.

Obama’s designated Secretary of the Treasury, Timothy Geithner worked under the Clinton administration, but counts as a man who can think past party lines. After all he was – together with the current Secretary of the Treasury Hank Paulson and Chairman of the Federal Reserve Ben Bernanke – co-architect of the Bush administration’s bank rescue plan.

It has also been said that Obama will ask Bush’s Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to stay at least a year at his post. Should the career solider James L. Jones actually become Obama’s National Security Advisor, the pattern of continuity will be complete: General Jones has been Bush’s Security Advisor for the Middle East since 2007.

Thus the situation existed that Obama was the only choice in the 2008 election, like the Red – Green situation in the 1998 elections. It is probably too soon for farewells on Obama’s domestic policy and his desire for change. But the incoming president is sending friends and enemies a clear message : that the transition in the White House will be neither a period of foreign policy weakness nor will be the start of an era of experimentation.

In Afghanistan, there will be a massive troop buildup; in Iraq, the U.S.A. will make the 2011 departure dependant on a lasting establishment of peace; talks with Iran will only occur when the Mullahs budge, or otherwise threaten harsher sanctions. In these and other cases Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will need to ask allies for more help.

America will change its tune. Europe will need to alter its politics. Obama proposes “Change we can believe in.”