Obama's Treasury Secretary A Cursing, Skateboarding "Hipster-Wonk"

The Economist profiles Barack Obama's Treasury Secretary pick, who they approvingly describe as a "seasoned crisis manager":

Mr Geithner looks a lot younger than his 47 years (though not as young as he did before the crisis began). He skateboards and snowboards and exudes a sort of hipster-wonkiness, using "way" as a synonym for "very" as in "way consequential" and occasionally underlining his point with the word "fuck". In temperament he seems similar to Mr Obama: he is suspicious of ideology, questions received wisdom, likes a competition of ideas and is keenly aware of how uncertain the world is.

...

He is a quick learner: within a year of joining the New York Fed he could debate the intricacies of monetary policy with academic experts. But he will join an Administration rapidly filling up with heavyweights on economic policy, not least of them Mr Summers. Indeed, one of the big questions of the new team that Mr Obama is expected to unveil on Monday is just how Mr Summers, a brilliant but intimidating and sometimes abrasive figure, will fit in.

Read the whole thing.

Comments

[Dichotomy]

Being 48 years old, this makes me feel young--and as someone who has always felt too young to be a "boomer" and too old to be a "Gen Xer"--I think we need to reclassify ourselves as "Gen O's"--

I'm loving how Obama's cabinet is shaping up--lots of people with lots of smarts and lots of energy. Something that has been seriously lacking in our country!

[lafrance]

I know how you feel. I don't fit with either group though I am technically a boomer, I am at the end of that group and feel I identify more with gen. x and have more in common with them.
I think I like this Gen O for our group who are in the grey area between the two generations.

[tlou33]

Hey dichotomy i have to agree with you. I was born in 1961 so I'm Obama's age. Technically that makes me someone born on the "tail end" of the boomers but I don't exactly fit into that generation. I'm also not so sure I fit with in the gen Xe-rs either.Alt­hough I agree with your idea of us becoming Gen. O's .I think this is a great idea partially because I see Obama's election as a generational change.

[amyinkansas]

According to wikipedia, you're Generation Jones.

[NMO14]

If you are 48, you are a boomer...t­he Boomer generation cut off in 1964...sor­ry to burst your bubble, but admit that you are a boomer, come to terms with it, and realize its merits...w­hich are more than myriad.

[Vetiver]

Sorry to burst yours. People born in the early 60's or even late 50's don't have the same experiences and influences as those born in the mid 40's-that's just fact and I don't care what cut-off dates people give. How can you say that somebody who was 7 or 8 in 1968 had similar influences with someone who was 20 at that time? You really can't. Maybe if they talked about "late" boomers I could accept it, but they don't. A Boomer is always a person who was old enough to be aware of and participate in the social, political and cultural movements of the 60's. That's not us.

[Vetiver]

I was born in 61. I'm definitely not a boomer. When people talk about boomers they are always referring to people who came of age in the 60's,or who were young adults at that time- they are never talking about people our age. I generally consider myself gen x, but I understand what you're saying. Funny though boomers and millenials have a sense of themselves as a generation, but when I was in my 20's that was considered an invalid concept by my peers and few would have accepted any generational moniker.

[SickOfTheCorruption]

Whew! I feel much better now that I know he knows how to snowboard and skateboard *rolling eyes*

[SunshineDaydream]

ohhhh grampaaa

[OrganOfThought]

LOL

[harriscrl3]

Actually that helps me it shows he is a techno geek and a braniac. Something must be said for being hip at 47 by that age people tend to be conservative this guy is still hip which means he doesnt think the internet is a series of tubes.

Carol

[tlou33]

Did you read the entire article in the Economist? He sounds like a good pick.

[canucklivinginUSA]

By the way, can I break out my Singles Cd once more? Gen X-ers are on top now, yeah!

[SunshineDaydream]

omg, thanks for the blast from the past!!

http://www.moviemusic.com/audio/singles_12.mp3

[jdmba]

Do I date you, do I hate you, I've got a dyslexic heart...

[NMO14]

48 is not a Gen Xer...are some of you incapable of reading a census report?

[TallGrrl]

If Geithner can DO THE JOB, then I way don't give a frack if he's a "hipster wonk"-ing skateboarder.
It's a relief not to have a bunch of know-nothing loyalists all up in the administration.

[Sparty1]

Sounds good to me.

[harriscrl3]

Its interesting that he and Obama barely know each other. Imagine that someone gets hired in an admistration not based on politics but on qualfications. He was probably SHOCKED he was offered the job. Politics is what is sucking the lifeblood out of our country we dont bring in inteligence anymore we just bring in politicians.

Carol

[SunshineDaydream]

it's a new day

[bascombe]

so here again we get the republican screamers being quoted.

[CUL8R]

Kewl beans!

[sunzen]

It was also Summers who worked in cahoots with Enron and banking lobbyists, and who backed Republican Sen. Phil Gramm’s Commodity Futures Modernization Act, which banned any effective government regulation of the newly unleashed derivatives market. The result was not only a temporary boon to Enron, which soon collapsed under its unbridled greed, but also to the entire Wall Street financial community.

The only opposition from within the Clinton administration came from Brooksley E. Born who, as head of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, dared defy Summers and Rubin, as well as Greenspan. In frequent appearances before Congress, she warned that the burgeoning derivatives trading “threatens our economy without any federal agency knowing about it.” In reward for her prescience, Born, a highly regarded legal expert on derivatives, was treated to scornful attacks from the old boys’ network, led (again) by Rubin, Greenspan and Summers, who questioned her competency and insisted it was she who threatened the stability of the market.

[NMO14]

Summers is beyond bad...horr­endous is more appropiate­...just WRONG on so many counts...t­his guy has some issues, too, if he has been a Bush appointee.­..I know Obama wants some smart guys handling the transition re: the f--ed up economy, but relying on Wall Street hacks might be a problem.

[jennytaylia]

Sooo... whass wrong with using the F*bomb??? I use it alla time, in addition to the C*bomb, and I'm a woman.

[bascombe]

I manage to go into moderation without four-letter words. I can't figure it either, except that some anal-retentive flagged me.

there also saeem to be some hypersensitive article writers.

[bascombe]

ignore that post please

[longislandlol]

He is my son's generation--they think generationally alike--mannerisms and words are indicative of their generation--they think on their feet-- they are brilliant-- can be abrasive at times- can be apt to take physical risks ( a la the Kennedy clan) --- we know these men- we must now put our trust in this post-baby boom generation--- as a parent-- I do it everyday---

[crayola 08]

yup. as a Gen X'er i'd say your description is spot on. people like him and obama are closer generationally and culturally to me than they are the boomers.

[NMO14]

Sad for Obama...sa­dder for you.

[canucklivinginUSA]

I AM SOOO HAPPY. I'm a gen-Xer, so having representatives in government is simply awesome

[beccasmecka]

The guy is 47. Obama is 47. That is not Gen-X people. That is still Baby Boomer - albeit, trailing at the end, but they're not part of the Gen-X crowd.

[bubbuh]

You are what you do...and, you're bein' anal, dude. Chill.

[bubbuh]

It's always fun to watch sociologists measure things. It's like watching a meerkat trying to crack an ostritch egg.

Boomer or Mother Jones or as Howard the Duck would say, "Somrthing else?"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_boomer

[crayola 08]

technically no they're not GenX but like i said earlier they are generationally closer to the X'ers than the boomers with regard to similar cultural experiences. obama may be a boomer but during woodstock the first wave of boomers were in their late teens and early twenties, obama was only 6 or 7, so naturally people of obama's age probably identitfy with X'er ideology more than they do their boomer collegues.

[situationcritical]

I'm in his range, and I cannot at all relate to baby boomers.

I identify more with the Gen Xers, but truth be known, I really identify more with the Millenials.

[Shzron1946]

I am with you, Hawka, competent people who can think and solve problems rather than rest on their laurels in positions awarded to them because they happened to know the right people is such a breath of fresh air! I say hurrah for critical thinking! Hurrah for logic! Hurrah for skilled people who can speak well and solve problems! Thank God for community organizers, for they recognize the importance of setting goals and objectives,and measuring outcomes! My kind of people at last!!!

[NMO14]

Thank God for community organizers, for they recognize the importance of setting goals and objectives,and measuring outcomes! My kind of people at last...

It's still not a real job, and never will be...does some good, but it's not a job.

[bubbuh]

Well, unlike most Treasury Secretaries, this one sounds ready to navigate the swoops and curls. Hope there's not a huge wipeout at the end of his run.

[NMO14]

Rather than base things on speculation and harp on his generational proclivities ( as mediocre as that might be), let's see him DO something, rather than talk about it...the same thing for Obama...ac­tion, as always, will speak louder than words, speeches, empty slogans and rhetoric.

[mcantwell]

He sounds like an Interesting individual.

[demfriend]

When we consider just how many people from the current president on down into the Congress and many many more who are no longer there, have been caught using the F word on camera even then how is it supposed to be a shock when another guy uses the word? As for the "way" instead of "very" I have known a few who have chosen to use the type speech which can be charming or annoying depending on if it is their "usual" way of speaking and not some out of touch way of trying to sound "cool". I look forward to a dfferent guy who thinks rather than what has bought the farm then destroyed it. Obama is making picks based on the person's strengths and not what they bought and paid for like Bush did. There might be a crony or two for Obama but that's because the person has been looked over due to many issues others hav had before him.