Competence is clearly trumping ideology in the next administration, and lord knows after two terms of Bush & Co. it’s time to get back to the idea of smart, capable people advising the president and executing his policies.Herbert says that part of the economic problem is that, not only have wages stagnated over the years but now jobs are simply disappearing. Will these issues be addressed by this brilliant team at the top?
I would have to say that Herbert's fears are justified, given the people chosen so far. They are people who look at the big picture, like Obama himself, while the little people of the nation tend to disappear and go unnoticed.
In saying this, I'm not doubting Obama's concern for the 'little guy.' I think his work as a community organizer demonstrates that. But I can see such concern taking a back seat to all of the issues and problems confronting Obama as he takes his seat at the desk in the Oval Office.
On the other hand, it is possible to believe that if he achieves his major goals, such as health care reform, economic reform, and green energy development, it could have major beneficial effects on 'the little guy.'
Finally, Obama is going to get major feedback from his millions of supporters out in the country if he 'forgets' the little guy. So we will all remind him regularly, as I'm doing right now.
What I wonder is whether the members of this team, in addition to their grasp of the issues and success at achieving power, have a real feel for the needs of the people they are supposed to be representing? I don’t doubt that they have the best of intentions. But the people at the pinnacle of power in Washington are encased in a bubble that makes it extremely hard to hear the voices of those who aren’t already powerful themselves.
No comments:
Post a Comment