Obama Is Killing the GOP With Kindness

Now that Barack Obama and John McCain met on Monday, it's looking increasingly as though McCain will be offered a position by Obama. Where will Obama's team of rivals idea end? Will Dick Cheney be offered a post as well?

Maybe Hillary Clinton and McCain won't serve in the Obama administration, after all. Bill Clinton's manifold business activities, if that's the right term, may render it too complicated for Hillary to pass muster. And whether she really wants the post remains an open question.

But it's clear that Obama is taking a radically different approach to the presidency than George W. Bush. Where Bush sought to polarize, Obama is taking the opposite approach. He wants to embrace the opposition in order to create his own kind of stealth presidency. Instead of trying to crush an already enfeebled Republican opposition, Obama is seeking to further weaken it by depriving it of an enemy -- himself. Democrats who worry that Obama is selling out to the opposition may have it backwards. His ingenious approach could end up marginalizing the GOP for decades. Tapping Cheney might be going one step too far, but could a post for the Decider himself be far behind?

Comments

[YesWeCanada]

The progressive left shouldn't even bother expecting much from Obama. All his moves suggest he is all about increasing his sphere of influence by bringing people to his side. It's not like the progressive left has any where else to go. Any issue with the potential to subtract from his mission will be avoided. Stuff like don't ask don't tell will have to be addressed by the House and Senate. Obama for the time being will stay above the fray and not get bogged down with devisive issues.

[madtom]

I support President-Elect Barack Obama ENTHUSIASTICALLY.

But I reserve the right to be one small Bad Cop. And I don't think I'm alone.

I want to punish the Republicans for the past eight years. I want war crimes trials and treason trials for high officials who violated their oath to uphold the Constitution.

I want to hurl anything bad I can find at the vile people who supported George Bush and Richard Cheney.

I hope President Obama doesn't mind. I suspect he doesn't mind, not too much. I really hope not, and that we're all just doing our respective jobs.

And as I see my small job in this, I say we DO need to kick the Republicans as hard as we can while they're down. They DESERVE it. They deserve far worse than anything we can do lawfully to those vile fascists. They are a cancer on America.

[grata2ude]

GOP = RIP

[raechel]

Hmmm... another couple of things to keep in mind: (1) The citizenry is alarmed and unlikely to tolerate much in the way of partisan sparring right now; (2) If you want to hit the ground running, you need experienced -- very experienced -- lieutenants even if they're difficult to control at times; (3) cabinet secretaries come and go -- lemons can be shown quietly to the door at a later date; (4) you can't tell what someone in a political position such as Senator believes from what he or she says on the campaign trail.

Obama is either prepared to be a strong executive or he isn't. If he needs to be surrounded by yes-people in order to succeed, I'm worried. He seems like the kind of guy who can listen to diverse points of view and then make decisions. And ensure that his team follows through by carrying out HIS agenda. That's what the great communication skills are for, right?

Clinton? Who knows at this point what she really believes and how far apart her views and Obama's really are? Before we get too excited about it, let's see what happens.

[Givethemhellharry]

Pure BS!! We voted for change from the failed policies of both the Bush and Clinton years, not more of the same. The crew being put together couldn't change a light bulb. This is being put together by 2 of the most corrupt politicians in Washington, the Podesta brothers. John has the influence and Tony sells it.

Obama is setting a damn poor foundation for the future and is creating more problems for the future than he is solving. He is putting the same people in charge that caused many of the problems in the first place. To put it mildly, I am very disappointed in what he has done so far. We need a thorough cleaning out, not just a quick sweeping. The stink rising from Washington is to great for anything less.

[EvasDaddy]

It's amazing how people watched Obama brilliantly sweep his way into the presidency with a perfectly executed plan, but now believe he has lost his way.

Stop it, idiots. If there was one thing you should have figured out about Barack Obama, it's that he knows what he's doing.

People like "Givethemhellharry" are pathetic armchair quarterbacks.

[leftoflennon]

Thank you

[timm553]

Hear, hear!!

[Matt7]

Uhhhh OBAMA will be "in charge." And he doesn't even start until the end of January.

How 'bout holding off on the condemnation until after he starts his job? And let's see what his team does "under new management."

If, by voting for Obama, you expect "instant gratification" and for everything to be done YOUR way, you're setting yourself up for continual disappointment. Americans have to learn to live beyond the quick fix, get rich quick scheme and soundbites of the "do it my way; now!" generation.

Let's try this the adult way, shall we? And see what happens.

[bitterindependent]

this is a typical sun tzu move....after a battle you don't burn bridges or destroy the enemy's resources, or needlessly kill the citizens that supported your enemy, instead u use them for your continued and future battles.....smart....and i agree that this move will marginalize the republican party whose entire M.O. is to polarize and demonize their enemies(you are either with us or u are an enemy)....if obama can execute this strategy it will definitely be fruitful for him and the dems.....

[Matt7]

Good point.

[Bocababs]

Obama ran the same kind of Campaign. One day, there was a sign waving event before the Election where Sarah Palin was speaking in Florida that day. The Obama Team said it was okay to go and wave Obama signs, but no negative or gross signs about Sarah Palin were to be tolerated.

I am struck by the way Obama handled Lieberman....even more so than having a meeting with McCain.

[IncludeMeOut]

Don't underestimate Obama-This guy is 5 steps ahead of everyone else. The Hillary pick is brilliant. She can't form an opposing block in the senate against him should she disagree with any of his policy positions. Ditto with Lieberman. There is an old adage, which I think that Obama is putting into practice-"You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar." The MSM keeps harping on these appointments because they need a controversy to report.

[Bonobo]

But you catch even more flies with s--t. While I'm at it, keeping your enemies close is a real good way to get a knife in your back, and Sun-Tzu said nothing about rewarding the enemy kings. Or letting them keep their heads, for that matter.

[Matt7]

1) Your opponent is not necessarily your "enemy" (Mr. McCain); and 2) Who says they've been "rewarded"? Stay tuned.

[brister]

This strategy is working very well in France. Nicolas Sarkozy (right wing) won the prediential race and then gave various high-ranking Socialists important positions. He also has co-opted some of their positions. They are in a real shambles still, 1.5 years later.

[muhair]

Hello.... we voted for Obama in large part because he claimed to be post-partisan. No fair to attack him for this. We need to voice support for this efforts. Jeez!

[Sassys]

Keep your enemies close comes to mind here...Obama is smart as hell he does know what he is doing and why he is doing it. Had this been McCain it would have been a very different picture. Thank GOD Obama won!!

[PatrickforO]

A brillian man. He's going to be a truly great president.

[RoseBlue]

This man is so smart. No doubt we will all look back at 2008 at see the major crossroads we were at as a country. It makes my head spin to see how close we were to disaster. I look forward to at least four years of sanity.

[LiberTLover]

W & Cheney? I'm not worried, Obama wants smart, competent people.

[TimeKoder13]

I avoided a lot of fights by being nice to kids I was bigger and stronger than too.