The meaning of Rahm
James Forsyth 6:20pm
It now appears that Rahm Emanuel has accepted the job of White House Chief of Staff in an Obama administration. The Chief of Staff is, in many ways, the second most powerful person in the White House after the president. Some will say that the appointment of the hyper-partisan Emanuel demonstrates that for all the talk of unity, this is going to be an aggressively political White House. But that misses the point: Emanuel is there to scare Democrats who try to over-reach rather than Republicans. What is true is that Emanuel reflects another side of Obama’s political character that is rarely seen in public, the aggressive fighter who knows how to throw an elbow. Washington will be a lonely place for any Democrat who crosses the Obama White House.
PS My magazine piece on the meaning of Obama’s election can be read here.
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Anthony
November 6th, 2008 7:03pm Report this commentI say, that Obama's a cunning fellow. Whoever would have thought that a Marxist-Islamist who pals around with anti-semites, is content to sit back while Israel burns, has tried to instigate an Islamist coup in Kenya and is secretly having it away with the Nation of Islam (or something) would have appointed as his consigliere a Jewish chap whose father was a member of the Irgun and whom Fox News acknowledges is one of the strongest supporters of Israel in Congress. Damn clever cover this is, damn clever.
Naive buffer that I am, I might almost have come to believe that all that stuff being put out about Obama's connections and views was a load of hysterical, scaremongering old tosh. Thank goodness Melanie Phillips will be on hand to keep my eyes open to The Horror.
Joey JoJo Junior Shabadoo
November 6th, 2008 9:03pm Report this commentKeep pulling at the threads, Anthony... They go deeper than you think. Emanuel's father was in fact an undercover Marxist Muslim. It wouldn't surprise me if he were the mastermind behind b HUSSEIN obama's rise to the presidency.
Oscar
November 6th, 2008 9:47pm Report this commentSo Anthony - what do YOU think about the appointment of Rahm Emanuel? Your mask of sarcasm hides what your position is.
strapworld
November 6th, 2008 9:48pm Report this commentI think we are all in danger of missing the greatest lesson from Obama.
Think of both Obama and McCain. Think of the thousands of people drawn to their meetings.
Think,now, of our beloved country. How many people attend political meetings. Please do not count those members of the party bussed in to make up the 'audience'. Think ordinary people drawn to see and hear the politician!
It just does not happen.
Think of general elections. We have the circus surrounding the leaders of the parties. They attend carefully stage managed events throughout the country. Reported on by the band of selected journalists bussed around with the leader! and given one to ones!!! Each day, surprise, surprise each party holds a press conference ON THE SAME SUBJECT!!!
Think of Euro Elections. Have you ever attended a Euro MP's meeting or heard of one? Have you ever heard of a MEP holding a meeting during the election? If so how many people attended?
Think of local elections. Who is bothered? Have you ever attended a Parish/Town Council Meeting? Have you ever attended a District or County Council Meeting? Very few people do.
My point is that we are, now, due to both the Conservatives and the Labour Parties a TOP down political system. They have removed local politics and it is only with a vibrant LOCAL political system that people's interest in politics itself can be revived.
We will never get the hundreds of thousands of people clambering to attend a meeting or waiting hours outside the polling booths until we are given far greater local democratic rights. When people realise they can make a difference locally that will wake them up.
We have to follow the American methods of local democracy with its local referendums, local police chiefs elected by the people. local health chiefs elected by the people etc etc etc.
We have to remove regional governments. we have to bring democracy back to local issues.
That also means giving the people a say on Europe. It is Europe that has created all the top down legislation that has ruined our local democracy. We have never been given an opportunity except to join a COMMON MARKET that was the only thing the British people have agreed to. Politicians have cheated us.
IF we can learn anything from Obama and his method of local activists within the community. We must have a vibrant local community. Make the change or we become a nothing! A Soviet.
molesworth 1
November 6th, 2008 10:56pm Report this commentAbsolutely, absolutely. Tell Smithson & Shadsy & get a market up...
Frank P
November 7th, 2008 3:01am Report this commentRahm will is the ideal choice to do what it will be necessary to do to the sheep that voted for Obama - ewes them! I can baaaa-ly wait. Or tup ut it another way: they'll all get screwed and at the same time very disappointed - that there is actually no Second Cumming.
Ian C
November 7th, 2008 9:49am Report this commentVery well said strapworld. At last a relevant comment on the true state of politics in this country (and many others).
THX1138
November 9th, 2008 4:49pm Report this commentDoes rather pull the rug from under Mel's arguments don't you think.
In fact it's hard to think what she has got right in a very long time.
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