A CENTRIST, YOU SAY? COULDN’T BE!

If our President-Elect’s cabinet choices are any indication of how he’ll govern and what motivates him, it’s probably safe to say that Barack Obama is a centrist, and a big fan of Bill Clinton.  Well, maybe not a big fan of Bill, but definitely a fan of his politics.  He’s got several Clinton Advisers in his cabinet, including his Attorney General, Eric Holder…you know…the guy who nailed  Dan Rostenkowski, the formerly untouchable Congresscrook from Illinois.

His choices also indicate he’s a bit hawkish about National Security, considering his previous statements about Hillary Clinton being too hawkish for the office of President.  We have two cold-warriors in General James Jones (no, not the koolaid dispenser) and current Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who headed the CIA at one time, and is slated to remain in office under an Obama administration.

I’m not quite sure where Janet Napolitano fits in, as Homeland Security Head, but based on Ontheissues.org’s political philosophy graph, she lands squarely as a centrist.

That’s just President-elect Obama’ National Security team.  His economic team reads like a Who’s Who list of Economic Genius, starting with Christina Romer, Berkeley Professor of economics.  Then we have the man who tamed inflation, Paul Volcker, now serving as Obama’s head of the Economic Recovery Advisory Board.  It should be noted that Volcker served as Fed Chairman from 1979 to 1987, mostly under Ronald Reagan’s administration.  We can be brief about Tim Geithner, the Doogie Howser of economics.  Larry Summers, Obama’s next Head on the National Economic Council, is probably as well known for his views on the differences between the sexes when it comes to high powered jobs as he is for his brief stint as President Clinton’s Secretary of the Treasury.  He is also well-known for his time as President of Harvard University, where his statements about the differences between the sexes occurred.  Of the economists working for Obama, Mr. Summers is probably the one we’ll hear about most, with his penchant for publicity.

There’s more to this centrist theory about Barack Obama than the people he has chosen to advise him.  His statements about America being not a liberal America or a Conservative America, but The United States of America marks his belief that a unifying presence is needed at the highest office in the land.  You don’t unify this country governing from the right or left.  You can only unify a nation like ours by governing from the center.  Just ask Bill Clinton and Ronnie Reagan.

Above all of that are his numerous speeches, in which the theme of personal responsibility can be found repeatedly.  Goodness, he sounds more Republican than most Republicans.  No wonder he won so many Independents over.  All of his rhetoric regarding spreading the wealth might only be red meat for the base.  I hope, I do so hope.

Barack, at some point, you are going to have to politcially separate yourself from your party.  If your cabinet choices can be seen as a first step in doing this, BRAVO!

If not, then please think about this:  In the last fourteen years, there have been three power changes in the two houses between the Dems and Repubs.  Currently, the Democrats believe that the American people are sick of Republicans.  I hold this to be true.  What the Democrats need to learn is that the American people are also sick of them; the voters are just using the only vehicle we have to change the powers that be and send our message.  It’s clear that the Dems do not understand this, and thus, in a few years, they, too, will be swept out of office. By governing from the center and leaving his party behind, Barack Obama will show his true colors, that of a right-leaning Liberal.

Hey, he even wants a dog that isn’t “girly”.  Maybe this guy is alright after all.

Independent’s day is coming!  Be a part of it.  Let’s lose these loser political parties for once and all.