Can President-Elect Obama Manage His Team of Egos?
Obama has assembled a powerful team that is full of experience, and opinions
Some are calling it a team of rivals. Others consider it a team of centrists. But President-elect Barack Obama's core group of advisers might be more aptly described as a team of egos.
"He does have this challenge," says Princeton historian Julian Zelizer. "It's not a modest cabinet by any stretch of the imagination. These are people of opinions and experience," and they won't be shy about "pushing the president" to adopt their ideas. The question is whether Obama will be strong enough to manage the egos around him—and distill from the resulting tensions and rivalries the best policies for the nation without allowing his government to descend into constant infighting, as happened under President Jimmy Carter and other chief executives.
On Monday, Obama took another step toward assembling his governing team when he named New York Sen. Hillary Clinton as secretary of state, tapped retired Marine Gen. James Jones as White House national security adviser, and announced that he would keep Robert Gates as secretary of defense. Each brings deeply held views, a wealth of experience, and more continuity than change to the emerging Obama presidency.
Obama defeated Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination this year after an often bitter campaign. Obama said Clinton showed bad judgment by voting for President Bush's Iraq war resolution, and Clinton suggested that Obama was too inexperienced to deal effectively with a "3 a.m. phone call" signaling a sudden crisis. An added complication for Obama now is that former President Bill Clinton, Hillary's husband, has his own ideas about foreign policy and has been active on global issues since he left office in 2001.
Gates has served in the administrations of both President George H. W. Bush and President George W. Bush and has faithfully promoted the current policies in Iraq, in Afghanistan, and in the "war on terrorism," all of which Obama has criticized. But Gates is also an excellent manager who is popular in the Pentagon, and he can shore up Obama's meager defense credentials. Gates will now be responsible for drawing down U.S. troops in Iraq, which Obama has pledged to do as quickly as possible.
Jones is a former career Marine officer and former NATO commander who has been critical of the management of the war in Afghanistan. His selection as national security adviser is designed to signal that Obama will be cautious and tough-minded in making decisions about national security.
But all three—Clinton, Gates, and Jones—are known as powerful advocates of their positions who won't hesitate to make their cases, even if they contradict one another.
Overall, Obama is populating his cabinet and senior White House staff with a variety of strong-willed individuals, which could make ego management a top priority. On Monday, Obama said his team shares "a core vision of what's needed to keep the American people safe" but that he also wanted "strong personalities and strong opinions."
"I think that's how the best decisions are made," the president-elect told reporters. "One of the dangers in the White House, based on my reading of history, is that you get wrapped up in 'groupthink,' and everybody agrees with everything, and there is no discussion, and there are no dissenting views."
In addition to naming Clinton, Gates, and Jones, Obama has chosen seasoned, aggressive people for other key jobs, including White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel; economics adviser Larry Summers, a former treasury secretary under Bill Clinton; Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, the incoming secretary of homeland security; and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. And, of course, Vice President-elect Joe Biden will be at Obama's side—and the longtime senator from Delaware is no shrinking violet.
Reader Comments
Obama
Just like I have said before, by the time his first term is up you will be begging for "Ms. Sara" to run for President. Two years of running for president and he has yet to answer a straight question. The man it a joke,and all you folks that are SO IN LOVE WITH HIM will get change. But not the kind you will be happy with. During my eighty-seven years I have been very good at telling how good a president will be. So far I only missed on one. (He was shot before he could do anything). And I am predicting this one will be a disaster for you country. And by the way, when did we start letting the whole family move into the white house? Mommy dearest needs to keep her a$$ out of there.
Obama is in WAY over his head
So, if Obama has all the answers to the world problems why does he want to meet with all the living ex-presidents and the leaders of congress to figure out what to do?
I thought he had a plan. He TOLD US he had plan. He told us he could fix everything including THE PLANET.
Now, he has no answers besides calling on everyone else to come up with some ideas for him.
You know you Obama fans, Barry made all kinds of promises to get elected to office in Ill, then did NOTHING. He ran for his US senate seat and has no accomplishments as a legislator in Ill. Then he made all kinds of promises to get his US Senate seat and what did he accomplish? Getting elected President. He did NOTHING as a US senator except run for his senate seat.
Now you clowns expect him to do SOMETING as President? Based on what? His record is one of do nothing except advancing his ambitions.
Two full years of campaigning for Prsident and not a single claim of accomplishment either as a "neighborhood organizer" or a legislator. We knew everything there was to know about Joe the Plumber within TWO DAYS of him asking the Messiah a tough question, but after TWO YEARS years of his quest for The white house we now have major news anchors like Brokaw finally admitting they have NO IDEA how Obama will govern. Brokaw actually said "We know nothing about him". TWO YEARS the activist media covered him and yet they know nothing about him. We knew everything about Palin within a week of McCain namimg her his running mate, what with ARMIES of activist media reporters looking for dirt on her in Alaska.
Funny how NO ONE from the activist media did ANY such thing in ILL or Chicago. They made NO ATTEMPT AT ALL to discover who Obama was.
So now here we are with all kinds of issues. Financial issues caused by idiot Democrats in the Clinton admin forcing banks to gives loans to people who were not able to pay them back...then sell the bad debt as investments...backed by Fanny and Freddy. Gee, giving homes to people who couldn't afford them never sounded like a good idea to banks or Repubs, but the Dems DEMANDED it be done. All attempts by the Bush admin to head of this crisis were thwarted by Barney Frank and Chris Dodd. Lots of low income constituents were getting homes and were quite pleased with there Democrat benefactors. Their benefactors were willing to take down the entire US economy to get some votes. The activist media take on this? Its Bushes fault of course. No investigative journalism on this issue folks...the biggest story of 2008...I wonder why? Maybe because the activist media knows any such truthful investigation would show how DEMS created, administered and defended this idiotic program that has thrown the world into a recession.
Obama has his hands full and absolutely ZERO experience on how to deal with it.
Thanks Democrats. You got your man, now we all have the most inexperienced man elected to President at the precise time we needed someone who knew what to do.
WHO KNOWS WHAT EVIL LURKS ?
None of the comments I have read make any real sense. None of you have a cristal ball to tell you how the man will deal with the many problems.
If he is faced with a room full of egos, the result will probably be sonme infighting followed by a room full of resignations.
My hope is that Obama has the strength to resist the pressure that will come from the people who are counting on his cooperation. The people who in their self-interest would take this country further down the road to total destruction. I have no idea what will happen. I am content to wait and see. I suspect that we are in for some surprises.
advertisement
