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What the Rahm Emanuel selection means
Submitted by Jon Henke on Fri, 11/07/2008 - 00:28
Obama's selection of Rahm Emanuel to be Chief of Staff sends a very important signal about what we can expect from an Obama administration. Powerline's Paul Mirengoff is absolutely correct that the "combination of ability to knock heads and aknowledge of Congress [is] an excellent combination", and Ezra Klein gets close to the real meaning of this selection here...
Emanuel is a brawler. He's legendarily tough and effective and ruthless. Hes the type of guy who makes enemies, then makes lists of his enemies, then makes lists of his enemies' friends, then makes lists of how they'll pay. If you thought the Obama administration would be all about bringing people together and would simply make sad faces when stubborn congressmen refused to come to the table, this is a clear sign otherwise. If good feelings don't suffice, bareknuckle politics will happily be employed.
The lesson from this, however, is not so much that Obama is willing to play bareknuckle politics. That's not news. Obama sold the "new kind of politics" and "unity" spin for the rubes, and apparently it sold quite well, but it was just clever marketing. Obama has always been willing to play hardball.
No, the lesson here is that Obama intends to play Good Cop/Bad Cop.
Obama knows his strength, his brand, is his ability to appear conciliatory, thoughtful and sympathetic. He can't be the Bad Guy in his administration. So Obama has hired a Chief of Staff who can handle the Enemies List. Rahm Emanuel will be the ruthless guy who knocks heads, threatens opponents and generally does the dirty work, leaving Barack Obama to sweep in as the nice guy who wins friends and charms enemies.
Good cop, bad cop. We won't necessarily see it happening, but it will happen over and over again.
(2 votes)
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Comments
Emmanuel's Targets...
Something to keep in mind is that Emmanuel's targets won't always be GOP congress critters. More likely, and probably more regularly, he'll be doing the arm twisting & ball busting on the Democratic side of things just to keep the various segments of the Dem caucus's on Obama's page and from going off in a direction he isn't happy with, which was a problem that both Clinton & Carter had to deal with.
probably won't often be, actually
he'll have more cards to play with the Democrats.
What it means is that Obama is ready to make big changes -- which is a good thing. Wall Street needs to be driven out of politics, nanny state and all.
Emmanuel
Emmanuel will target democrats like Obey want to chop up millitary, and Miller wants to pull Argentina on 401k , which means nationalization of 401k . Dangerous democarts are in US house and Republican house members should try to go after earmarks. Be prepared
have to lay mouse traps and poision pills on bills. Best way to rebuild the party is make the democarts look like luddites on energy policy. Give it time Barney, Conyers, Obey will bring back moderates to the GOP tent who wants to pay $10,00 a gallon for gallon of fuel to run the lawnmover.
Mitch McConnell in senate said, how high does gallon of gas have to cost before you drill $10.00 and the democarts said no to drilling then. Emmanuel could be used to help Obama and Republicans at the same time just have to play it right.
Emanuel doesn't seem to be as self-destructive...
...as the rest of the democrat party. My take on him is that he has enough sense/grasp of reality to know where to draw the line. Its my hope that he'll at least focus on the fact that it takes a booming economy to keep people fat, dumb and happy. And he'll work toward that. That'll keep him plenty busy. I think he'll be a force of restraint against the unrestrained left. Despite his reputation. Certainly the Jewish community and Israel can breath a little easier, too. None of this is to say he should be trusted. Certainly no democrat is trustworthy - my opinion. DD
no politician is trustworthy
you can trust me on that!
Rahm won't be in charge of policy, and that's a bloody good thing! He's too tied to wall street.
Republicans, or country?
Good call. While many Republicans are firing at this appointment because that's what they do, this choice makes sense. Although I disagree that hardball politics amounts to failing to offer a new kind of politics. A new kind of politics will be serving the national interests, not selfish or party interests. If Obama can use Emanuel to that end, it will be a new kind of politics.
Emanuel is a sensible choice for a president who believes he, and not Nancy Pelosi, was elected to be the driving force behind American policies going forward. I have heard people suggest that Pelosi was going to run roughshod over Obama, Rhambo is probably the best choice to insure that this doesn't happen.
Wait, you mean the best way to serve the nation's interests is to have a leadership plan in the event the Democrats fail to properly address the critical issues of our country, right?
You can't mean that regardless of how well they do, you want to make them appear to be failing for the sake of Republican gains in the federal election, right?
I hope his appointment isn't as bad as it seems.
But lets face it, Obama has no plans to govern from the center and this appointment is proof of that. Just as Clinton didn't govern from the center until his party lost the 1994 midterms, he won't govern from the center unless Democrats start losing congressional elections.
Also this appointment is also about Obama's payback to the corrupt Chicago political machine. He owes then for his riise to power and he had better not forget them. Especially since as part of his indentity politics (he says a black should have his Senate and no other type of Democrat will suffice for him), he wants IL Gov. Blagojevich to appoint Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. to his senate seat when he takes office, so this appointment is obviously part of the deal.
rot in hell, you idiots!
Mr. raised by his white mom and grandmom is all absorbed into black identity politics??
It's because you believe in identity politics that Tinker the Republican lost, you know.
Obama is a fan of Lincoln's cabinet -- and his appointment of Rahm means no Rahm in the senate. which may be a good thing.
rahm isn't in a policy position, please stop being ignorant.
God, you are an obnoxious asshole!
You know as well as I do that I am right about Rahm, you just don't want to admit it.. And your emotional outburst is proof that I am have struck a nerve with your fantasy of assuaging whatever white guilt you suffer from. It matters not that his position a polcy are not, it is one of strategic importance for him as being the adimistration's enforcer, the kind of role Rahm the angry and vindicative partisan hack is most effective at.
guilty as charged! obnoxious and obstreperous
but with far more humor than you credit me!
Dr. Bonilla-Silva makes the case that there will be more of your RACIST attitudes because of Obama's election.
as for me, to quote someone from the hills, "I'm voting for the nigger"
Yeah that was real funny!
If that is your form of humor, then you must think Bill Maher and hopefully would-be Senator Al Franken are actually funny.
By the way, accuse us of racism all you want, it really is no skin off my back. By now most of you on the left have rendered the term almost meaningless. But i must ask you, when the faced with the consequences of your failed policies what will do when more people are forced to realize that the affirmative action empty suit is bad for the country?
weep and wail in your skirts
Obama is for a more sensible affirmative action, that takes into account wealth and income (upper class blacks do not deserve affirmative action more than ScotchIrish Appalachia). can we agree on that?
Well I can agree that no one needs affirmative action.
We can move beyond race. There are no racial barriers. This country needs to move beyond racial recriminations and become a true meritocracy.
Homestead Act. FHA Loans. 25% of Household Loans NC
50% of Household loans in Massachusetts.
Sorry, research disagrees with you. Read the research, and then we can have a civil discussion on what to do about it.
You have to earn success
You aren't entitled to anything regardless of any past greivances that anyone might think does so. You have to earn it. That is the difference between you and me. Unforutantely too many minorities haven't earned the credit or the income level to earn mortgages from lenders that think would be sound investment in. You have to work for it and not blame for any faliures.
What about current grievences?
There are definitely are race barriers . . . or possibly more to the point, poverty barriers. Particularly since schools are based on local taxes. Then kids go to bad schools, and their parents have little hope of sending them to further education. That has created a culture of low expectations.
Just because there's no outright descrimination, there's still lots of implicit descrimination (plenty of research here). And definitely, the echos of past grievences linger.
there is outright discrimination too
check out some of Dr. Bonilla-Silva's work. ;-)
But yeah, a lot of it comes down to persistent poverty
RisingTide - you're too disruptive
Nothing personal, only professional:
I suggest to the site owners that you be barred from posting any more.
Luckily, this isn't redstate.
my rant on the whole "votes got stolen" thing might get me banned, but maybe that's why I'm not posting it.
why do you think i'm so problematic?
just a suggestion
"rot in hell, you idiots!" isn't a good way to start a post and make friends.
;-) sometimes my frustration gets the better of me
and sometimes it's my sense of humor.
In order to disrupt something,
There first must be something constructive to disrupt. And BigBen is never constructive. Go ahead, read his comment again. It's nothing but baseless accusations. Or don't read it, your choice.
Which reminds me,
Feck off, ya bollocks.
If you don't like Rising's comments, then here's a simple solution: Don't read them.
Once this site starts banning commenters for anything less than personal threats, then the party is over.
Yes, but
The posting was about Rahm, and now it's turning to RisingTide and BigBen. Neither one will have much influence in the next administration . . . . unless they're just psuedomyms . . . .
RisingTide is Emanuel and BigBen . . . . . Fred Stevens, getting his last shots in before he goes to the poky.
Is the election over?
I think his choice means he is going to govern from the center. The only way to do that is to keep his party in line, and it seems Rahm is capable of that.
But, I think his choice also means that Obama is no placator of the right. He's out to get things his way, and I imagine, play pretty damn hard to pick up more seats next cycle. Which he may have to do to get anything significant approved with health care or entitlements.
And reps should be scared. Obama is running for 2012 right . . . . now! We just got over the two year election, welcome to the four year election. That's really what Rahm's appointment means.
As for affirmative action (???? how did this make it's way into the discussion), there may be more pressure to deliver for the Hispanic votes he got than appease the african american segment. His election by itself is that, and he did so by shunning being black. Basically, he's got the black vote, he wants to keep the hispanic vote.
God, I hope affirmative action as a topic is on it's way out of the national scene.
me too. Affirmative action should be based on the science
which shows that some schools prepare kids better than others, and the good schools are highly correlated with wealthy parents. ;-) So make it based on wealth, and explain to everyone that this is really the best of all worlds -- a true way to push black people over the residual racism inherent in our society. ah, but i drone on.
I hope he governs from the center -- but Rahm says "Change is Coming" Wait till we get someone on the policy end before you talk about centrism.
Rumor has Volkher up for Treasury Secretary -- I hope not, the job might kill him, and he's a good guy. Oh, well, anyone but JPMorgan's guy that would be bad.
Look for the DNC Chair if you want to know how much of an endless campaing there will be , but also look at Martin in Georgia -- if Obama wants it, he can get it. But will he fight for a progressive in Georgia?
Staff . . .
Sure enough. Have people talked at so much about a chief of staff? He's there probably for overall strategy, and to keep a hungry party at bay for the inevitable landslide of personal agendas.
The world is actually waiting for Sec of Stat and Treasury. I bet Defense is a rep.
That's a fairly typical chief of staff ploy
eisenhower did the same thing with Sherman Adams.
and ike had everyone fooled on how much he
cared about the nitty gritty things. until they unsealed his records. can we please start unsealing records again? even if they embarrass republicans?
Rahm is Like Tom Delay
Rahm is Obama's enforcer that means Obey, Frank, Miller, Startley the crazy left will be bullied by Rahm that means the Republicans can spend time devisiing strategries break down democartic party whip discipline. Barney Frank wants to cut the Pentagon by 25% as does David Obey these are democarts Rahm will be working on to ensure they do not go off the deep end, Republicans goal in the US house is to create conditions to ensure short term to create hostily between the Blue Dogs Democratics and Liberal Democrats.
Parlientry manvuers besides fillbusters to ensure that bills come with posion pills directed at the liberal democrats like Barney, Stark, Obey, Wamxan, Waters, Conyers, Kunich to show how out of touch they are with normal American people. The moderate democarts will have to choose between party loyaty or reelection. Have to set up bluedogs into a trap like that they choose local voters or Pelso, Frank, Obey.