Friday, February 29, 2008

What Would an Obama Presidency Look Like?

If Barack Obama wins the Democratic Primary and goes on to defeat McCain to win the Presidency, what would his post-partisan Presidency look like? Obama has run a campaign claiming to be beyond the partisanship of the 90's. He has stated that he would like to appoint Republicans to his cabinet. He has promised an end to government for special interests yet he has a track record of including big campaign contributors (like nuclear power companies in Illinois) in his decisions.
What would his administration look like? Obama's wife was hired by the Chicago Daley machine before she became part of the health care industry (now big Obama contributors too). The infamous Chicago Daley machine has supported Obama's campaign. Will Daley have a say in Obama's cabinet? Chicago real estate developer and slum lord (currently under federal indictment) has been an Obama supporter and mentor for nearly 20 years. Would an Obama Presidency include Rezko at his big table? Illinois Senate President Emil Jones has told several interviewers the funny story of how he made Obama a US Senator. Would Emil Jones join the Obama Administration or would he have a more behiond the scenes role in shaping policy and hiring staff?
Obama has campaiged against the Clinton Presidency yet many of Obams's staff were members of the Clnton Administration. Would including former Clinton advisors in his Presidency mean that his promises of change were meaningless campaign rhetoric?