I was mad.
I was really mad.
I could not believe that Obama was ready to give Hillary a job with some much face-time. I could not believe that Obama was ready to give Joe Lieberman a free pass. I could not believe that Obama was surrounding himself with so many old faces and ex-Clintonites, even though he ran on a message of change.
I was mad.
And then it dawned on me. I finally realized what Obama was trying to do.
I think Obama is trying to gain a monopoly on power, to end the gridlock, and bring about real change.
Why would Obama decide to choose Hillary Clinton?
I mean she’s certainly a gifted person and could do a good job. But, sometimes the Clinton’s bring drama, media generated or not. And that’s not good for "no drama Obama".
So, why not choose Richardson? Why not Kerry?
Well, it MUST be Hillary. And Obama knows it. Getting Hillary on the team is the only way to consolidate power to bring about real change.
Think of it like a business.
A good business man creates a good product to fend off competitors.
A great business man PURCHASES his competitors’ business, so that there is no competition left.
Obama and Hillary are competitors. They both produce a product known as "leadership" within the Democratic Party. Obama produced a better product, got a greater share of the market, and became the industry leader (Democratic Nominee for President).
But his number one competitor, Hillary Clinton, is still in business and still has market share. She is still producing a leadership product. She still has customers. And the media would love to see the two of them go head-to-head, competing for leadership market share.
Now, Obama could simply continue to produce a better leadership product than Hillary. But that’s not enough for this great leader. No. Obama wants to PURCHASE Hillary’s leadership company, absorb her employees, gain her customers, and put her out of the leadership business altogether, creating a monopoly to bring about big change.
Without a virtual monopoly, Obama won’t have the necessary power to make change.
That’s why it MUST be Hillary, and no one else.
This is the wisdom of Barack Obama!
Conservative columnist, David Brooks, said that Obama has a beautiful mind. I think he’s right.
Here’s some more......
Why would Obama bypass his great supporter, Tom Daschle, for the Chief of Staff job, to bring in ex-Clintonite Rahm Emmanuel....one of the biggest Democratic leaders in the House? He needed to have maximum power over the House of Representatives. After all, the House is also in the leadership business.
Why would Obama bypass his great supporter, Tim Kaine, for the VP job, to choose Joe Biden, one of the biggest Democratic leaders in the Senate? He needed to have maximum power over the Senate. After all, the Senate is also in the leadership business.
Why, again, would he bypass his great supporters, Richardson and Kerry, for SOS, to choose Hillary Clinton? Simple. He needs to have maximum power over the Clintons. After all, the Clintons are in the leadership business.
And why is Obama so willing to work with Republicans? Well, they, too, are in the leadership business. Obama can’t purchase their business. But, he can make sure they are not powerful enough to oppose him.
That’s why Obama knew that Lieberman MUST remain in the caucus. Otherwise, Republicans would gain greater leadership market share.
With a virtual monopoly on power, Obama will be able to bring about Universal Health Care, Energy Reform and End the War in Iraq.
Here’s another way of saying "monopoly on power":
"A working majority for change".
Obama spoke those words over and over and over again while he was running for president. Now he’s doing what he needs to do to bring about that "majority". If that means Hillary, so be it. If that means Lieberman, so be it.
We freak out about it. The pundits scream. Yet Obama sits quietly, purchasing all competitors, absorbing their employees, winning over their customers.....building a monopoly of power ("working majority") to bring about big change.
A beautiful mind, indeed.