Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on Decem01:14 PM: He is not going to have an easy job, though. Between the various crises of confidence, law, and economics, Obama's been thrust into the very sort of 'opportunity' to become an incredibly notable president. The timing on this could hardly be more poetic. Posted by Samprimary (Member # 8561) on Decem01:01 PM: Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on Decem10:40 AM: It's starting to look like Obama might get almost every campaign promise he made so long as he calls all of them "stimulus." People should feel free to post any info on the upcoming swearing in ceremony, and on the ever more plentiful news leaking out about the possibly $800 billion stimulus package that Obama and the Dems are putting together. He was a Christian, but felt stronger than most for the preservation of the separation of church and state. I believe the only US president never to take the oath on a Bible was Teddy Roosevelt. It looks like he is putting a team together with the intention to get stuff done, and he'll have more room to attempt it than any president in quite some time. If Obama could take any of Lincoln's attributes to heart, I'd like it to be those two. But Seward ended up being a masterful SoS in a time where things like the Kearsarge and Trent incidents on the high seas could have unraveled much of Lincoln's plans. Secretaries of State back then were far more likely to become president than any other federal position, so it looked to many like he was having Seward wait in line. Seward, his Secretary of State, was believed to be a choice simply to mollify his greatest political rival in the Republican Party. Lincoln had an amazing talent for picking the right people for the right jobs, for making sure none of them were just appointees getting kickbacks, and for getting excellent service out of them. Lincoln was a fascinating individual in a variety of ways, but the ones that might most be useful now are his ability to read the pulse of the nation, and his ability to manage people. He quotes him, claims to (and I have no reason to doubt it) repeatedly read the man's writings, has a cabinet that is often compared both fairly and unfairly to Lincoln's, and now chooses his Bible. But this one I find interesting only for the extreme effort Obama seems to be making to emulate Lincoln. Generally I find details like this either fascinating or overly stupid, given the press' penchant for extreme overanalysis. Obama had decided to use the same Bible that Lincoln used for his swearing in ceremony back in 1861. I'll update this thread as we move through the different phases of his presidency, though no doubt it'll be impossible to keep all political discussions contained to one thread, I loved the dialogue we all kept going as a community during the election process, and I think many of us would like to keep that same spirit alive in a continuing thread. So I wish to reserve this thread not for discussion of cabinet appointments or Bush pardons and appointments, though those are good points for discussion, but for the day many here and everywhere have been waiting for, some with dread and some with excitement, when Obama officially takes the oath and gets sworn in. There's a State of the Union coming up, some massive pieces of legislation that will soon be passed, and Obama's first 100 days, which might be more transformative or at least impactful than any since FDR. But I thought with Inauguration Day less than a month away, we should start to transition away from the transition and into the actual presidency. I'm hoping this doesn't undercut Noemon's thread, and if he feels it does I'll withdraw it. Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on Decem06:23 AM: This is topic The Obama Presidency Discussion Thread - JSC Healthcare Address in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum. Hatrack River Forum: The Obama Presidency Discussion Thread - JSC Healthcare Address
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