President-elect Obama has studiously avoided explicit politics during the transition--he did not, for instance, campaign for Jim Martin in Georgia--but one political goal for the Obama Administration is already clear. He intends to steal the realists--call them the Scowcroft wing--from the Republican Party.
The national security team he unveiled clearly reveals this effort--Defense Secretary Robert Gates is, of course, a member in good standing of the Scowcroft wing and Jim Jones, the National Security Advisor-designate, is likely another, although he has been more opaque. Equally important, the Democrats nominated to cabinet posts--Hillary Clinton, Bill Richardson, Eric Holder--all hail from the pragmatist wing of the Democratic Party. Plus, as the link above suggests, Gates and the others are announcing their full support for Obama's positions. In light of the status of forces agreement with Iraq and Gates's move, McCain's campaign insistence on a "victory" approach in Iraq looks juvenile and foolish.
Which, I suspect, is the point. It's not as if there are a lot of moderate or realist Republicans out there, ready to tilt the balance of power. Oh, there are some, particularly suburban Republican women. But not an overwhelming number--or they'd control the Republican Party, which they do not. Rather, those people--the Scowcroft wing--are the adults. They are the sorts Americans always trusted to handle national security policy, the sort of people they thought they were voting for in 2000--the Scowcroft wing did not realize then that Rumsfeld and Cheney had gone off the deep end.
If they do not stay with the Republicans, then which Republicans do Americans trust enough to run the country, to be a responsible governing party--Gingrich? Palin? Kristol? Coleman? Sanford? Heck, which ones do prominent conservative pundits like Brooks and Sullivan trust enough to run the country? None would be the answer. Plus, everything about Obama's style--rhetorical and otherwise--appeals to these people. He speaks clearly and softly. He dresses well--no too short jogging shorts for him, no boxers vs. briefs questions. He follows what appears to be a clear plan. He's efficient. He's methodical. Every stylistic nuance thus far says the following: "Take a deep breath, folks. The adults have come back to town."
Given the incompetence of the last eight years, Obama had an opening. He's now seeking to take advantage of it. He's seeking to move the adults out of the Republican Party and leave only the ideologues--those clearly incapable of governing responsibly. The goal is clear: Obama seeks to turn current Republicans into the British Conservative Party, circa 2000 or so. That, in turn, gives him the breathing space to solve the nation's problems. He does not have to address everything immediately because, I suspect, it will be manifestly clear that the Republicans are incapable of governance. Their incompetence will grant him the gift of time.
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