What should Obama do?
What does he have to do?
« Obama's Speech, As Prepared | Main | First Drafts Of History » The Countdown Resets; 77 Days To The Inauguration...05 Nov 2008 12:41 am Comments (20)
Close Guantanamo Bay and make sure the United States never tortures another human being again. 
Stay humble. You work for us now, Barack. Stay safe. Presidential-level secret service starts today, I hope. Get a little bit of personal time and space -- a few days here and there. God knows he won't have much of that the next 4 years. Personally thank Hillary Clinton as effusively and sincerely as possibly. Also John Kerry, Ted Kennedy, etc... Figure out how to run the executive branch as seamlessly and brilliantly as he ran his campaign. David Plouffe needs a big-time job in the administration; perhaps chief of staff; dude is money. Ignore the people who want him immediately to lurch into mindless bipartisanship. Also ignore as much as possible the radical leftists who helped him into power.
Nap.
Pay his last respects to his grandmother.
find out where as many as possible of the levers that cause things to happen in the federal government are and learn who and what they are connected to. Figure out where your politicals will go in the various departments and find out who the career civil servants who matter most are. I speak of course of what Obama should do in the broadest possible sense of "Obama"
get his team in place as quickly as possible nail down his economic plan, and maybe even begin working with Bush to get some of the more obvious, popular parts of it enacted
reak of preparation, knowledge, expertise...get public confidence as sky high as is humanly possible
Obama will ask Geithner for Treasury; Geithner will ask why he's more qualified than Summers; Geithner will require Obama to prove why he's better than Summers; Obama will have no good, substantive reason; Obama will pick Summers. Geithner = work horse; Summers = show horse
Spend some time alone and with his 4 or 5 closest peeps, figuring out what he really needs from Bush in the next 2 months, and then sit down with Bush and get it.
Take some time off to relax with the family and pay respects to grandmother. That's a should and have to do. Then he can get started on working on the clear mandate he's received from the American people for significant change. This will mean building a strong economic team ready for whatever Bush leaves them with in 77 days.
Energy. Energy. Energy. Everything on President-Elect Obama's agenda is affected by energy reform and thats what he should focus his energy on in his first term. But first he needs to pass somesort of stimulus package. Hopefully with alot of money to states.
Take a break, at least a short one. The man looks absolutely shot, and he needs to be refreshed and rewound when he dives into what are certain to be some muddy waters. Don't appoint too many Clintonistas. The cabinet will look stale, and psychodrama will find a way to ensue.
Create a cabinet of epic proportions. Maintain your theme of hope against all odds, because you will be pushed from your pedestal. Do not be rash in your attempt to be hawkish. You are strong, and we know it. Affect change in energy policy. We want it, even if gas prices are dropping. This is a personal, economic, foreign policy and national security topic--it is many birds hit with one stone. Try to fix healthcare, although I doubt it's possible. And yes, rest. You've done well. Rest for us and come to the oval office strong.
There's only one thing to do, and it starts tomorrow: the second coming of Bretton Woods. The world's financial system is on the verge of collapse. The O-man knows it, and will want to be out front on the issue. Otherwise, Sarkozy or whomever will be running point. Volcker, Summers, Krugman, Roubini, etc. will break out the Scotch, get with Obama, and (hopefully) start crafting the terms on which the world won't cannibalize itself. I'll be praying for them.
Don't poke a wounded animal (GOP) with a stick by pushing card check and fairness doctrine right off the bat. Plenty of progressive laws and regs can be enacted during first 100 days that won't antagonize and polarize like those two would.
Follow through on the idea of sitting down with John McCain and seeing what you two could tackle together. My idea? An energy bill. The two of them agree on a considerable amount with respect to energy. McCain will rebuild his reputation with the media, and the independents, and Obama will hopefully gain some cred at being bipartisan.
Take a nap. Discuss puppies with Malia and Sasha. Don't put off the puppy! Few things will unite the nation like the chance to watch the new first children with the new first puppy. Start putting together his government--announce key appointments, and, as someone upthread says, get confidence sky high. If it's possible to work with Bush to start stuff, do that. One reason the divided government idea didn't work for McCain is that this is one time in history we damn well want the government to get stuff done, not wrestle over incremental steps.
I'm laughing at the crow-calls for "bipartisanship" and "going slow" that the hyenas of the right are already coming out with. Obama should do what he wants to do and ignore the GOP. They're carrion. They dug a deep hole for this country and they did it deliberately. He doesn't need their advice. He doesn't need their false sympathy. He's beaten them, and there's no reason at all to back off now.
-- Hawaii visit. At least one day off. -- Economic plan and czar ready to go. -- Plan to close Guantanamo done so that things can start moving on Day 1. -- Bring in McCain. Talk to Bush. Make big noise about listening and then ignore them when and if necessary. -- Find a position for Dick Lugar. Doesn't have to be Sec. of State, probably shouldn't be. Invisible Hand in the Senate would be fine, if that's what he wants. -- Remember to do what he's done all along and plan for the long haul.
He can't pull a Clinton and overreach in his first year. Obama needs to start out with some good bipartisan plans on the economy and the environment before he touches healthcare or entitlements.
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Measure drapes?
Seriously, though:
-Re-sign Gates.
-Haul Petraeus back and work out The Plan.
-Private summit with Buffett, Bernanke, Paulson, and whomever else, and work out The Other Plan.
-Enlist Hilary to buffer Reid on the left.
-Convince McCain to take on Vet's Affairs. Gain Team of Rivals cred AND steal that Senate seat. (right?) Would McCain "put country ahead of party"?
-Tell Labor "thanks but no thanks" to card-check and renegotiating NAFTA. (my wish).
Posted by DB Cooper | November 4, 2008 11:49 PM