If you want an example of the kind of change Obama is looking for, consider the second stimulus package he has proposed, which will, among other things, help bail out the three ailing automobile manifacturers. This is definitely not a move that any Republicans or many Democrats would propose, especially this early in the game. I'm not going to argue the merits of the idea here, just pointing out that he has hit the ground running with some new ideas already.

As far as his political appointments go, he has about 2,000 spots to fill. Only a few of those spots have been discussed so far. He has never said he wants inexperienced people in these positions, or people with no knowledge of how Washington works. It's not surprising he would draw upon some people who have worked successfully for former administrations. I doubt if he will fill all appointments with Republicans or independents, as some people seem to think he should, although I'm sure he will include some before he is finished.

The man hasn't been in office for two weeks yet, and already the opposition wants to tear him apart. Give him a year, at least, before you pass judgment on the changes he will propose.

[edit on 15-11-2008 by Sestias]

[edit on 15-11-2008 by Sestias]

Originally posted by kidflash2008
Secretary of State is too important to give to a relative unknown.

But apparently President was not.



The fact remains that Obama promised change, and he isn't showing he'll change anything with these selections.

I realize he hasn't even officially started the job yet, but he isn't off to a good start.

[edit on 17-11-2008 by nyk537]

Let's see, where do I start? From President George W. Bush to President Elect Obama. " Change "
First Black President. " Change "
That's it! Nothing else until he becomes President January 20th and from there we'll see what changes.
I didn't vote for Obama but that's who America wanted and that's who we'll have in the White House. I'm the kind of man that will wait and see what he does and give him that chance to prove himself worthy of the job. For one he's a Democrat so he's gonna put Democrats in his administration. This time next year we'll see what has changed.

It just seems kind of contrary to build yourself up as an agent of change, and then surround yourself with people who don't stand for that change. How can we expect him to truly change this country if his staff is made up of the old guard democrats?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not criticizing the man when he hasn't even had a chance to prove himself yet.

But surely you can see the concern?

sorry everyone, I haven't been around much lately. But ill continue.

I think it's very important to be really critical of who Obama selects for his cabinet. These are the people that are going to implement policy for this country and their personalities are going to be a major influence on what occurs these next four years.

I voted for Obama, I respect him and think that he may do some great things for this country, however I also think that we need to really take a hard look at who he is going to bring into his inner circle and what those people stand for.

Qualified candidates from both sides of the political isle are what this country really needs right now. What we are seeing with rumored (some are confirmed) choices is more of the same thing that has happened in the 1990s.

While times were in my opinion better in the 90s as they are currently I wonder if that is really what is needed to move this country forward or is it going to have an effect that might be more detrimental to our nation?

The problems we face need to have a mix of experience and brand new faces. I think the Secretary of State position needs to go to someone who can help clean up the mess, and bring back respect to our country. I am not the biggest fan of Hillary, but she has a huge amount of support that Pres Elect Obama needs to have if he wants to get this country in a new direction. Hillary is also highly regarded overseas, and that is a real plus this time. Most of the people he picks will have had some dealings with the Clintons. They were in charge from 1993 to 2001, and most will have gotten their starts in that time.

The thing that matters is the changes that Pres Elect Obama does, and his ability to change the status quo.

I also like his reaching out to John McCain and Joe Lieberman. This shows he (hopefully) plans to put away partisan politics and get the job done.

The country needs long term fixes that are going to take a while for us to feel. Everyone wants a quick fix, and as we have seen, that does not work.

Originally posted by kidflash2008
I also like his reaching out to John McCain and Joe Lieberman. This shows he (hopefully) plans to put away partisan politics and get the job done.

Exactly. And no one who criticizes the "lack of change" ever bothers to mention (or notice?) these REAL signs of change. Putting partisanship aside. Many in the Democratic Caucus wanted to boot Lieberman clear out of the club house, but Obama's influence clearly had a strong, unifying effect, an indication of a good leader.

skeptic, (sorry, I didn't look at the date) I'm pretty clear on what Obama's definition of change is. I've been reading everything I can get my eyes on about it. And I've been taking him at his word and not making up his intent to serve a dream of my own. Maybe it's because I'm usually very careful with my wording, to say exactly what I mean, that I listened so carefully to what he said and didn't have a lot of expectation that others seem to have.

I do understand why you might be disappointed in some of his picks, but to be fair, the thought that he would pick a certain number of new faces in his immediate cabinet is your expectation, and not based in fact on something he said.

It honestly seems to me that this latest rash of "This isn't change!" complaints and observations are but another way to keep the attacks going after the election. It's probably true (and to be expected) that every move he makes is going to be consistently criticized by people who don't particularly like him or even despise him. And honestly, he SHOULD be critically examined, IMO. But I get annoyed when there is no real result to criticize, so people go after the means or his choices of the tools he's planning to use to get his job done.

I expected people to wait till he actually got into office to criticize his actions. And that's an expectation of mine that I was clearly wrong about.