How Nice Is It to Finally Have a Smart President?

The week that has passed since Election Day has been a blur. There was worldwide joy over Barack Obama's victory. There were also many words of caution that if Obama and the Democrats didn't play their cards right, things could turn ugly very quickly (some guy named Mitchell Bard wrote such an article the day after the election).

But now, with some time having passed, my ability to focus is slowly returning to normal. The first realization that has emerged through my election-induced fog has been: What a nice change it will be to have a president who is smart and cares about competence. See, no matter what happens in the future, whether the Obama presidency is a roaring success or gets stymied in enacting its goals, we will still be able to point to our president and say, "Yeah, we elected a really bright guy." Which is a huge improvement over the last eight years, when we had to look at our president and say, with a groan, "Did he just say that? Is he back on the bottle?"

For me, the first jolt was Obama's press conference on Friday (you can watch it and read the transcript here). As I watched, I smiled at finally being able to see a president speak with knowledge, intelligence, subtlety and depth of thought. Again, regardless of political ideology, whether you think Obama's policies are exactly what America needs to get back on track or a one-way ticket to disaster, Obama's intellect is what you would hope for in a president, especially after eight years of a "decider" mangling the English language (not to mention every issue he tackled).

The press conference offered many moments that made me happy. Obama's well publicized answer to a question about the family's impending puppy acquisition was funny and illuminating, and his tone and thoughts on the problems facing the country were of a level we haven't seen since the Bush brood took over the White House.

But one passage of his introduction stood out to me as a great example of how nice it is to have someone with intelligence in charge. Obama discussed aid to the automobile industry in a way that not only demonstrated a command of the issue, but that also showed the tact and skill to be absolutely clear on his position without being unduly harsh on those who would disagree. And, of course, in doing so, he made it far more likely that he could actually get something accomplished. Obama said:

"I would like to see the administration do everything it can to accelerate the retooling assistance that Congress has already enacted. In addition, I have made it a high priority for my transition team to work on additional policy options to help the auto industry adjust, weather the financial crisis, and succeed in producing fuel-efficient cars here in the United States of America."

Translation: We're not throwing money away on loans and grants to an industry that is stuck in the past -- aid that will only prolong an inevitable death -- but if the industry wants to modernize and change course to be a positive force as part of a forward-thinking energy plan, then we absolutely will help. In an nutshell, there is money for modernization and retooling, but none to maintain the status quo.

In style and substance, it was the perfect statement. The auto industry is a tricky problem to take on. Politically, Democrats have to be supportive or risk votes in what has been an increasingly reliable blue state. And the industry is responsible for providing millions of jobs at a time when unemployment is on the rise. At the same time, high oil prices, increasing oil demand, and foreign policy and environmental concerns have conspired to place urgency behind finding alternatives to oil as an energy source, something the auto industry has not been willing to address. And the American car-makers have been on a long, slow slide for some time now, with its executives unwilling or unable to do anything to reverse the tide.

Obama handled this complicated, contentious and difficult problem in a graceful and effective way. Republicans who accuse Obama of being beholden to traditional liberal special interests (like unions) can't say he was toeing anyone's line in this case. But at the same time, those on the left who demand energy reform will have to be behind this kind of initiative, even if it rankles the union constituency. And Obama delivered his stance with a positivity that looked to find a solution, not to call out an industry that has failed miserably in adjusting to the new realities of world energy production and consumption (a future that has been inevitable for decades).

I was so impressed with how Obama handled the issue, and I was even more impressed that he brought it up himself, rather than wait for a question from the press.

Quite a change from Bush's simplistic pronouncements like, "They hate us for our freedom," no?

And it's not just Obama, but the people who surround him. The new anti-anti-intellectual wave (yes, I meant to write that) that Obama is carrying with him to Washington was apparent as I watched his transition team member and long-time friend Valerie Jarrett on Meet the Press on Sunday (you can read the transcript of the show here). Tom Brokaw, knowing that many viewers didn't know much about Jarrett, began the interview with a quick "Meet the Press version of a baseball card" of her. The mini bio noted that she graduated from Stanford University and the University of Michigan Law School (and her daughter is at Harvard Law School), worked as a deputy chief of staff for the mayor of Chicago, and currently serves as the CEO of a real estate development company.

As I watched Jarrett speak with knowledge and insight on the Obama family, the transition, and potential members of the new administration, I was struck by the difference between the people Obama has surrounded himself with and the parade of unqualified and under-educated cronies and ideologues that made up the Bush administration. I immediately flashed back to Bill Maher's "new rule" in April 2007 about the importance of competence, and how Bush's anti-intellectual, political, competence-disdaining approach to staffing was epitomized by Monica Goodling, who was the number three person at the Justice Department before she resigned as part of the U.S. Attorney scandal. As Maher pointed out, Goodling was 33 and had no prosecutorial experience, even though she was charged with overseeing the performance of the more than 90 U.S. Attorneys around the country (who, in turn, managed thousands of lawyers under them). It seems Goodling's qualification for the job was that she attended Pat Robertson's law school, Regent University School of Law, which is ranked in the last tier of schools in the U.S. News and World Report rankings. Maher reported that 150 Regent graduates were hired by the Bush administration.

Goodling was emblematic of Bush's sea of crony appointees. There were so many embarrassing appointments, but these three jump out at me: He put Michael Brown, the judges and stewards commissioner of the International Arabian Horse Association, in charge of FEMA, with disastrous results after Hurricane Katrina; he tried to appoint his buddy Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court, even though she was a commercial litigator with a law degree from Southern Methodist University (nothing to be ashamed of, but not a resume for a Supreme Court justice); and he placed the overmatched political lackey Alberto Gonzales in charge of the Justice Department, resulting in the least independent, most politicized Justice Department in modern history.

And now, here was Jarrett, on top of her game, and the contrast was unmistakable. And the qualifications of the numerous names kicked around for cabinet posts in an Obama administration were equally impressive when weighed against Bush's choices.

George Monbiot wrote an article in the U.K. paper the Guardian last week that sought to explain why the U.S. has such an anti-intellectual streak to its politics, despite producing some of the greatest universities and research institutions in the world. When I read the article for the first time this morning, it crystallized all that had made me angry about the Bush presidency, and it helped accentuate what a breath of fresh air listening to Obama has been in comparison.

For the last eight years, I have bemoaned the growing idea in the United States that presidential candidates can be "too smart." I was sickened by the idea that the electorate seemed to demand mediocrity as a way of ensuring that a president could understand its concerns. As I wrote after the vice-presidential debate, I don't want a president who is "just like me," I want someone better. Watching Barack Obama this week, it occurred to me that, just maybe, America has decided to value intelligence over relatability, and competence over fear mongering. And that makes me very happy, no matter what the upcoming months and years hold for the new president.

Comments

[pikebishop]

It is great that you all are so entertained by Barack's "articulation". You had more than ample amounts of time to enjoy it on every network during this election cycle. Bush is on his way out, and all of you reading this can do nothing but rake him over the coals in hopes that the scars will remain a lifetime. I need not go into the shortcomings of the Bush tenure, we all know the party line. But on the same token, he is never given credit where credit is due. This is shameful at best, and intellectually dishonest. I am ashamed at the way dems are strutting and gloating in celebratory gliss over this victory. I did not perceive this behavior when the gop won over in 2000 and 04. Shame on you. All I have heard from the gop is congratulations on the victory and historical milestone that we have attained. Bush is admirably offering a helping hand in a smooth transition of power. Doubtless this falls on many deaf ears plugged with the cotton of self righteous ideologue. But all you honest folks out there, get off your high horse and give credit where credit is due. Bush reached across the aisle on more than one occasion only to have his hand bitten. Okay, Obama can talk intelligently. Now, let's see if he puts our money where his mouth is.

[B1uBall00n]

I don't want a president I can drink a beer with. I'm not voting for a slot in the high school superlative. I'm voting for the person who will hold the most powerful position in the world. This isn't American Idol.

The fact that it has become a liability in this country to be a smart politician is a disgrace. I want my president to be smarter than me. I want my president to know their stuff. And I'm so glad that 51% of the country agreed with me. The smart guy won and it's a beautiful day.

[mjt218]

One thing that did impress me about the Bush Administration was how deftly they threw their cronies under the bus as things turned sour. By sacking Tenet, Brown, Gonzalez, etc. Bush & Company stayed above the fray on major disasters with a majority of Americans despite gross incompetence and mis-management.

It's almost like they took a glass half-empty approach to governing. They knew things would go wrong, so that had inept cronies in place to blame when things eventually did. Their effectiveness at doing so, always made me question how incompetent Bush and Cheney actually were.

[canucklivinginUSA]

This anti-intellectualism displayed during these past 8 years always puzzled me. Coming from a country that believes in education, I was stunned to see a country, such as the US, enjoy such idiocy. I live in Georgia, and this state is a sheer example of that anti-intellectualism. I cannot wait to graduate from school so that I can move. Can't stand it here, I feel so stifle and I am suffocating

[robotsoul]

it is a welcome change. president-elect obama speaks to the American people as if we have the ability to understand issues and make substantive judgements about them. it isn't just that obama is bright, it is that he doesn't use appeals to our stupidity and laziness to score political points. He isn't cynical about the American people, I didn't think politicians could be like that.

[Sumocat]

I wouldn't have used the word "finally" since President Clinton was pretty smart too, but I surely agree with the sentiment. After eight years of a president who demonstrates little complex logic or intellectual curiosity, I look forward to a president who thinks strategically and welcomes discourse.

[LABC]

Amen! I share in the author's joy in having a national leader who is bright and able to speak intelligently on pressing matters. What a relief after 8 years of drivel and division.

[Mitchell Bard - Huffpost Blogger]

Sumocat, don't worry. I think Clinton was/is brilliant. To me, eight years is long enough to say "finally," especially since Bush beat two very bright guys in his two elections. Thanks for the comment.

[Tommygun2146]

Jimmy Carter was a nuclear engineer in the US Navy and the architect of lasting peace between Israel and Egypt, and just look at what the far right lunatic fringe of the American pubs and the far-right Zionist fringe element of the Israeli government, along with the help of the FOX Noise echo chamber, have been able to make of this highly intelligent, genuinely compassionate man - they succeeded in making him as toxic as the term "liberal" within the uninformed majority of his own political party. Make no mistake that the same neo-con pubs, their allies abroad and their mouthpieces in the mainstream media are already launching their campaign to discredit and hobble President-Elect Obama before he even takes the oath of office. They aren't just using their usual cadre of blatantly biased buffoons such as Hannity, Limbaugh and O'Reilly - the denial of Obama's landslide victory, and the memes that "Obama has no mandate" and "America remains an overwhelmingly center-right country", despite all evidence to the contrary, have already begun to circulate throughout the mainstream corporate media, including the new host of "Meet the Press", Tom Brokaw. We cannot afford to become overconfident and complacent. Setting America back on the path of righteousness is going to be an uphill battle.

[lvdragonlady]

All you have stated is true but I believe that P-E Obama knows this and will handle them the way he has handled everything else, so far, with class and eloguence.

Rock On

[Mitchell Bard - Huffpost Blogger]

Tommygun2146, I appreciate your comment, but I don't think Carter was a successful president. I think his reputation is not a product of Fixed News or the "far-right-Zionist fringe element of the Israeli government" (who, I think, you ascribe too much power to).

Carter's record just wasn't very good. He wasn't very effective advancing his programs, and he made some serious missteps along the way.

Having said that, I agree that he was/is a very, very smart man. I just don't always agree with him (especially on his view of the Israeli-Palestinian situation).

I hope people aren't reading too much into this article. I'm not arguing that all smart presidents were successful, or that Obama will be successful because he's smart, nor am I saying that Obama doesn't have a lot of other qualities that will make him successful. Rather, I was making a very narrow point: That I am enjoying seeing a smart president-elect who appreciates competence after eight years of a president who was not and did not.

[nlightenup]

Yes, having a president who knows what Big Words mean and who can pronounce them and use them correctly will be a delight. And the ideas to come out of that atmosphere--the prospects are breathtaking. Thanks for a thoughtful piece of writing, and also for pointing me to the Monbiot column.

[Mitchell Bard - Huffpost Blogger]

Glad you liked Monbiot's column, nlightenup.

It took a foreigner (someone from France, Alexis de Tocqueville) to write the definitive take on 19th century democracy in America. I found it fitting that such a clear-minded expose on the anti-intellectualism of 21st century American politics would come from an English newspaper.

[betweenextremes]

You mean to say that being smart is hip again?

[Mitchell Bard - Huffpost Blogger]

You made me laugh, betweenextremes. Thanks.

"Again"? When was smart hip??

[davism97]

It is definitely nice to have a thoughtful and educated president for a change. Listening to Bush and then Obama speak is like listening to Yo Sammity Sam and then Thomas Jefferson speak.

[kadene]

I think GWB's accession to power had in its own right set the intellectual bar, and he further lost the opportunity to surround himself with brilliant , progressive minds. Most of all, he allowed the Christian fundamentalists to highjack much of his presidency in their Countdown to the Apocalypse and fulfilling biblical prophecy.

Thank God it's over.

[MyPersonalOpinion]

It's extraordinary to know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.... and it's not a train.

[Shiral]

A Smart president surrounded by smart, qualified people with skills and expertise applicable to their jobs! Pinch me, I'm dreaming.

January 20, 2009: the end of a mammoth embarrassing HORRIFYING error!

It's not only that I'm delighted about Obama and Biden themsleves, it's about the thought that COMPETENCE will matter again! No more Cheney, no more Rumsfeld! No more Gonzalez or Goodling Nobody in the Obama administration will need to apologize for having a good brain that has been well nurtured by a good education or apologize for USING it!

It must have felt like this to be a Berliner when the Wall came down!

YIPPEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

[sappho99336]

I think Obama has both intelligence and the ability to relate to our concerns. After all, he grew up with a single parent and didn't have a whole lot of money growing up. He spoke during one of the debates of his mother's health care bills when she was dying of cancer. So he can certainly relate to our concerns on health care and and the economy.

[Mitchell Bard - Huffpost Blogger]

Good point. I agree, sappho99336.

I meant this piece to be very narrow, on this one issue. There are host of things about an Obama presidency that make me happy.

[M1]

Amen. No more cringing.