[Peace-discuss] Fw: The Real Rivalry In Obama's "Team of Rivals"

[unionyes]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Sirota" <ds at davidsirota.com>
To: <unionyes at ameritech.net>
Sent: Tuesday, December 02, 2008 10:13 AM
Subject: The Real Rivalry In Obama's "Team of Rivals"


> The Real Rivalry In the Team: The Cabinet vs. The Campaign Promises
>
> By David Sirota
>
> Campaign for America's Future, 12/2/08
>
> Just as an add-on to my column this week, I wanted to add one two
> more macro thought about Obama's appointments, and progressive unrest
> about those appointments.
>
> First, I think there's a psychological aspect to what bothers
> progressives about Obama's refusal to appoint movement progressives
> to key positions. The public opinion data overwhelmingly confirms
> that Obama won with a clear progressive mandate - to argue otherwise
> against cut-and-dry numbers is to mimic an ostrich shoving its head
> in the sand. Additionally, nobody argues that his victory wasn't the
> product of huge progressive grassroots support. So in light of that,
> there's a perception that he's delivering the spoils of that victory
> to those who embody what the election rejected.
>
> In that sense, there's a Rodney Dangerfield harrumph - we
> progressives get no respect. That's understandable, but we're going
> to have to keep our eye on the policy, understanding that personnel
> impacts policy, but isn't policy itself. And the policy is ultimately
> what defines true respect (and disrespect).
>
> Second, the meaningless "pragmatic Team of Rivals" nonsense - and it
> truly is media-created nonsense - is clearly being used as a
> rationale to pack the incoming administration with Establishment
> figures. Indeed, the "rivalry" isn't between the "team" of appointees
> (most of them come from the same team - ie. the center-right team of
> permanent Washington). The "rivalry" is between the
> positions/ideology of the appointees and the positions/ideology Obama
> explicitly campaigned on.
>
> To read the full post, go to:
>
> http://www.ourfuture.org/blog-entry/2008124902/real-rivalry-team-cabinet-vs-campaign-promises
>
>
>
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