Until philosophers are kings, or the kings and princes of this world have the spirit and power of philosophy, and political greatness and wisdom meet in one … then only will this, our State, have a possibility of life and behold the light of day.
– Plato, The Republic
In his continuing quest to become a 21st-century Abraham Lincoln, Barack Obama has obviously been doing his homework. In what was possibly the most gracious truce-offering since Hillary Clinton’s campaigning on his behalf after failing to net the Democratic nomination, Obama named Clinton his secretary of state. Under this title, Clinton will now be fourth in line to the presidency and serve as a chief diplomat, as well as act as a top advisor to the president himself. But is this necessarily a good thing? For the most part, the answer seems to be yes. There was surprisingly little outcry against her being chosen, even from the Clinton hardliners who would have been most likely to see her selection a concession, not a nomination based on talent or qualifications.
I, for one, am happy she accepted. I was ready for an Obama/Clinton ticket, but understood and agreed with Obama’s reasoning for selecting Joe Biden instead. Plus, Clinton’s role in State means she is serving in about the same capacity as the VP, as far as advising is concerned. So while she may not be driving the car, she can at least play backseat driver.
Clinton’s selection comes as little surprise, however, as she and Obama agreed on nearly every issue, with the exception of foreign policy (which, admittedly, does make her secretary of state bid interesting, considering the amount of influence she’ll have in that area). Where things really start to get interesting is when we look at some of Obama’s other cabinet members.
The one that really stuck out was Obama keeping Robert Gates on for a time as secretary of defense. This clearly indicates he is committed to following the previous president’s tactic of building a “team of rivals,” and say what you will about Gates’ history with the CIA, but he has received commendation for his criticism of the war in Iraq after being handed the mess Donald Rumsfeld made, and I personally admire his courage in immediately answering, “No, sir,” when asked during his confirmation whether he thought we were winning. Obama’s new national security advisor, Gen. James Jones, has also been reported as saying the Iraq war was a “debacle,” indicating Obama is hiring people with the right mind-set: that we are not winning the war by fighting it the way we have been, and that an immediate change is necessary.
Obama’s economic team doesn’t have the same kind of conservative representation, but that’s to be expected. Conservative practice in the market is exactly what put us where we are, and continuing in the same vein will not pull us out of it.
Obama’s new half-cabinet is a strong indication that he intends to make good on his campaign promises. While some of the exciting ones, like booting lobbyists out of Washington or repealing Bush’s tax cuts on the rich, may not come to pass straight away, the tone he set for the White House and the policies he will enact paint a bright picture for our nation’s future.
Obama has come to exemplify that union of political greatness and wisdom that Plato spoke of. He knows not to make promises he cannot keep, but at the same time has the wisdom to know that they all cannot happen from the get-go. People often mention that he has the ability to make all sides feel that he is on theirs; call me naive, but I think that’s because he genuinely is. He knows this nation doesn’t benefit from strict unflinching adherence to one side, or one ideal. It succeeds because it is a melting pot of multiple thoughts, creeds and beliefs. It is because he has seized on this ideal that he has rallied so many to his cause, and it is because of this ideal that I am proud to have him as my president, and look toward these coming four years with great anticipation.
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