tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19150297.post8248335478357834581..comments2023-07-04T10:30:14.276-04:00Comments on Intrepid Liberal Journal: Can Obama Be A Transformative President?Robert Ellmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03526287813354418269noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19150297.post-50582813112997852982008-12-17T15:54:00.000-05:002008-12-17T15:54:00.000-05:00Hmmm...I'm not sure that I share your optimism at ...Hmmm...I'm not sure that I share your optimism at this point, especially given the new cabinet appointments since you posted this. Let's see--"green team"? Well maybe a few of them, but Vilsack at Agriculture and Salazar at Interior are great disappointments and will threaten to undermine efforts at environmental sustainability. I just read that Salazar wants to continue pushing fossil fuel development and the National Mining Association praising him. And Vilsack is hardly likely to be a visionary at Agriculture (just ask the sustainable agriculture folks in Iowa). Obama's been no FDR so far--more Clinton's third term (and actually Clinton's initial high-level appointments were probably better). <BR/><BR/>Thought experiment: If Hillary Clinton had been elected and were making these picks, the Progressive Left would be throwing a fit just about every other day.<BR/><BR/>I'd like to be as hopeful as the next person. But nothing depresses me more than the paralysis of the Progressive Left in deference to Saint Obama. He is certainly capable of doing great things, but he is not going to move that way without a lot of movement pressure.Christian_Lefthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15019740651763670153noreply@blogger.com