Why did President Obama choose Rahm Emmanuel for his Chief of Staff?

[invictus]

What were his reasons? Help me understand. Seriously.

[DURHAM D]

1. Obama owed him... nt

[stray cat]

2. To offend DUers?

[notadmblnd]

they were BFFs in the Senate?

He's Obama's handler? Rahm has the dirt on ole Barry? Who knows?

[ChiciB1]

11. Rahm Was A Congress Critter, Not Senator... But You Probably Know That...

Some others may not! Rahm, his brother Ari & Zeke have been part of Obama's "circle" for a very long time from what I've seen & heard!

Have never liked Rahm, but what put the real kabash on it was when he took credit for Howard Dean's "50-state strategy" as if it was his own! It was ALWAYS Dean who implemented it, it WAS RAHM who was GIVEN & TOOK credit for it! Not even mentioning Dean's implementation and actually dissing Dean at every turn!!

Obama probably KNOWS how Rahm operates, which in turn bothers me a lot!

[truedelphi]

35. Oh of course he knows, Unless he is too busy looking in

The mirror at his gorgeous uvula while pretending to give another mesmerizing speech.

[CBR]

3. I have no solid reasons but I have a sneaking suspicion it was

a personal attack on the members of DU.

[Oregone]

4. Chess

[gateley]

5. I'd like to know, too -- good question. K&R to hope somebody comes along

who might be able to shed some light.

I don't know who else may have been considered -- his team served him so well during the elections, you'd think one of them would have been chosen. But maybe he felt comfortable with someone who had inside experience? :shrug:

[Marr]

6. Watch the way Obama operates. He always puts himself

a few feet away from his own corporatist policies, so he can deny connection to them. He did it on HCR with his, "let Congress work it out" nonsense, while working to shape the policy behind the scenes. He's doing it with the "Debt Commission" that will allow him to say the inevitable cuts to Medicare and Social Security were the result of a bipartisan Senate commission, etc., etc.

Rahm is the same thing. He's just a pair of tongs for handling politically radioactive elements.

[QC]

15. And here is the answer. n/t

[Romulox]

27. Long story short: "good cop/bad cop" is one of Axelrod's only plays. nt

[Smashcut]

31. "a pair of tongs for handling politically radioactive elements"

Love this turn of phrase. Describes it perfectly and your post is spot-on...

[Individualist]

7. NDC is part of DLC,

so it's not surprising a New Democrat President would select a DLC Chief of Staff.

[Tesha]

8. They knew each other well and share the same fundamental attitudes.

Important hint: they're both DLC to the core.

Liberals and progressives are just suckers to be shmoozed
for votes and then shoo'ed away as far and as fast as possible.

Tesha

[gateley]

12. Sigh. I'm beginning to think this is it, but I do keep getting shots of

encouragement when Obama speaks. I just don't WANT to believe it!

Many of us saw through other candidates, how could so many of us been snowed by Obama? (If this is indeed the case.)

[DJ13]

9. Shared ideology

Obama seems far more conservative (DLC) in private than we were led to believe he was during the campaign.

[Tesha]

30. It was obvious, even during the campaign, what his true sentiments were.

Think back to the "mis-steps" about gays, how quickly he dumped former
friends and associates when they became inconvenient, and how quickly
he ascended to power on such a relatively-slim résumé.

There's good reason he was seventh on my list of eight.

But once he was the candidate, what choice did we really have? And
who among us could have turned away from the amazing historic
event that his election represented?

In 2012, on the other hand, I don't think I'll be able to hold my nose
that "one more time".

Tesha

[here_is_to_hope]

10. KKKkarl was busy? n/t

[golddigger]

13. Ouch! lol

[guitar man]

22. dammit

you stole my punch line! :spank:

:rofl: :hi:

[salguine]

14. Probably the same reason Bush picked Cheney as VP—Cheney told him to.

[JVS]

16. Because he thought that disrespecting his supporters himself would be seen as being an asshole.

[peacetalksforall]

17. Hillary was the obvious DLC choice - she is DLC, just like Bill. A deal was made -

she will step aside if Obama takes the DLC into the WH and everywhere else. His make-up was already DLC even if he may not have formally joined them - that is why I wasn't one of his fans. I swallowed hard and put all my hope on the fact that a minority member of this country was breaking through the ceiling and that he was so brilliant and persuasive. I never heard him make an anti-war statement. I never heard him say anything that comforted me in regard to war. I didn't like some of his votes. But, it's war where it all starts and ends for me. He has failed miserably, but how do you stop the war machine when there is so much money to be made.

If he betrays the people that came out to vote for him and celebrate his win, we are in trouble. It will be the end of any attempt at voting integrity. It will also reflect in the opinion of the U.S. world wide. He has a great burden on him - justify the Nobel Peace Prize, appease the DLC who are really Republicans.

It's not all just about him. It's what he does to make us strong or weak. By 'us' being strong or weak, I mean the people, not the corporations. By 'us' I mean of, for, and by the people. Not the corporations. It's all about our privacy and voting. What has he done about voting integrity - ever?

[JVS]

24. That's kind of what I suspected.

[Duende azul]

39. + 1

That's what I always thought. Hillary was set to remain in the race until Obama accepted certain conditions.
She could have ruined the whole thing. And sometimes she was close to ruin it even for both.
Well that's the well meaning thought towards Obama.

But maybe it was all a scripted play? And a good exciting one at that.

A third possibility: someone made it clear to Obama what personal consequences he may face if he dares to touch the foundations and mechanisms of wealth and power distribution in America. Rahm is the watchdog to keep him from stepping out of line. But that's tinfoil territory. And no one would like to go there. Or would we?

If you exclude all of the above: Obama is really doing now what he wanted to do.

[WilliamPitt]

18. Illinois

[Romulox]

19. "New" Democrat. nt

[timeforpeace]

20. Unfortunately (for us) Chicago-style politics doesn't translate to the national stage.

[EFerrari]

40. Sure they do. They're the same politics that elected Bill Clinton. n/t

[Gold Metal Flake]

21. Shared ideology.

Obama's first year is what he wanted. Face it. The appearance of impasse serves the corporations. It's by design. He is not acting like FDR because being FDR is not his agenda. He is not directly challenging the Republicans because directly challenging the Republicans is not his agenda. He is expanding the wars because ending the wars is not his agenda. He left the Bush fed attorneys in place because dismantling the Bush anti-Justice system is not his agenda. He chose the Wall Street insiders because he wants Wall Street insiders.

If you simply realize that the way Obama has governed is the way Obama has chosen to govern it all makes sense.

[blm]

23. IMO, Obama WAS concerned about how much he needed to know and tapped Rahm for Clinton-era experience

and tapped a whole pack of other Clintonites, as well. No surprise he's governing from center-right. Just like Clinton.

This nation NEEDED a HUGE shift left, not more of the failed triangulation that allowed a Bush2 to emerge.

[SlingBlade]

25. Why ? Because the powers that be TOLD him too.

But lets be clear here, The buck stops at the presidents desk.
Just as it should have with Bush.

[TheKentuckian]

26. I have to assume because they generally agree and he felt Rahm would be

a good set of hands to accomplish his bidding.

:puke:

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

28. Because Obama hates you. n/t

[Tesha]

36. 'Damn shame he'll need our votes in 2012, ehh? And maybe even in 2010. (NT)

[OHdem10]

29. That position in the past is pretty much an indication of a person

who shares closely the Presidents values. Most of all Intense
trust in this person by the President.

I assume the same holds. Obama has high degree of trust and
they share the same vision and values.

It would make no sense otherwise for this position. Too important.

[ProgressIn2008]

32. Because he wanted to and Rahm was what he was looking for. nt

[Better Believe It]

33. Because he knows how to use his "sharp elbows" against liberals?

Is this a quiz?

[d_b]

34. because he's a hardass who takes no shit

he'll show those republicans who's boss!

[laughingliberal]

37. He'll show 'em all right

Show 'em we can outconservative them any day.

[harkadog]

38. Obama was told to by Mayor Daley to whom he is beholden.

Rahm is a long time Daley guy and Daley wanted to make sure things didn't get too out of control in DC.

[timtom]

41. Chicago political machine cronies?

[branders seine]

42. Every boss needs muscle