Hillary's Best Incarnation Yet (Hail to the Community Organizer-in-Chief!)

I watched Obama's press conference announcing his National Security team yesterday, and I was struck by our president-elect's team-building skills. Hillary Clinton was warmly and honorably named to one of the most prestigious appointments in his cabinet, but she wasn't singled out with the genuflecting the Clintons had come to expect--and she didn't project that arrogance. On yesterday's stage, Hillary had become part of Obama's inclusive and what-seemed-like-already-jelled team. Plus, in a moment of what I hope proves to be an inspired choice for Secretary of State, he gave the Clintons a lesson in generosity and class. I was caught up in the vibe that the good of our country was supremely being served; more than that, the good of the world was being fashioned right in front of our very eyes.

Barack Obama ran an inspired and brilliant presidential campaign. I never lost faith with his strategy or choices then, and I'm trusting that he's made all the right appointments now. Every single member of his new team was sending out that energy--team energy--in his or her body language, mannerisms, facial expressions, and in their entire comportment, while Obama was unequivocally the man in charge.

All the critics who made fun of Obama's community organizing experience (Sarah Palin, are you listening?) were toothless wonders. That hard-won experience is going to help him successfully organize the community of the world.

Beth Arnold lives and writes in Paris. To see more of her work, check out: www.betharnold.com.

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Comments

[tonysmith]

And he will walk on water rather than use Air Force One.

[southernsepia]

All she said was she is impressed with his competence.

I find it humorous that after 8 years of ineptitude folks are unable to appreciate the intelligence and savvy of the PE. Complimenting competence - is that messiah worship?

[hardybear]

Very much enjoyed your perspective Ms. Arnold, many thanks. I thought
back to my own impressions of the presser, and do recall feeling inpsired
by the seeming cohesion and still-early-days promise of a team committed
to consensus governing.

What a bi-polar opposite from the inevitable dread that rises when viewing
Bush and Co. media coverage.

I confess to feeling a great deal of frustration trying to process the ongoing
clamor of voices shredding everything from the president-elect's cabinet
choices to foreign policy he has not yet even formed. I've dubbed it
"Premature Evaluation", and am in hopes that Merck might produce a pill
for it pronto. Not that we can say que sera, sera and suspend opinion, but
it seems that much of the dialogue here and elsewhere has an element
of near-hysteria and resumed in-party pitched battle ... one month after the election.

[jhamm1]

Complete and utter balogne. How much does it take for one to realize that constantly flipping off the UN, favoring utiliateral military intervention, failing to accept responsibility for helping to generate a war that has thus far claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, or threatening obliteration against 70 million people is conducive to anything other than the role of a Community Divider?