Peter Voskamp, editor of the Block Island Times, took me to meet Walt and Mearsheimer in R.I. back when we were lads, 2 years ago. What larks! Here's Voskamp riffing on the Emanuel appointment and his faith in Obama:
I know I'm stating the ridiculously obvious here, but how could anyone
who once volunteered to help another country's armed forces become the U.S. Speaker of
the House? [which was Rahm Emanuel's presumed goal before taking the chief of staff job] With all the hue and cry about Obama's "true
nationality," why aren't Rahm's various "allegiances" more of an issue?
Hiding in plain sight.
I'm trying to take some comfort in the
idea that Obama's keeping his "enemies"– or at least his likely
political opponents on certain issues– close at hand if and when he
takes a risk vis-a-vis Middle East policy. But who knows. [Jack Ross agrees]
I mentioned that I'm less than enthusiastic about all the ex-Clinton people coming out of the woodwork in this administration.
I
know that Nader pushed it the other night with his "Uncle Tom" comment,
but he's still been more right than anyone about the politics. This economic
collapse should have conveyed some vindication upon him. People have
marginalized him, but he's brave– not narcissistic (I've never bought
that argument… but maybe a masochist).
There are myriad things
I love about this victory, but foremost among them is this feeling I
have about the end of arrogance. I know it's sort of counter-intuitive,
since everyone is heralding Obama's degrees and credentials. But I see
this more as embrace of common sense, along Vonnegut-ian lines. With
the collapse of capitalism as we know it and Iraq (all the product of the acme of the brain trusts), how anyone can presume to be smug right now is beyond me.
Obama
is confident and almost cool to a fault. But I feel that's distinct
from arrogance. It's a more subdued version of "give me the damn
ball."– just to get something done right for a change.
