What's Hiding In That Cabinet?

By Amy Yensi--

Just when you thought political junkies would start suffering from post-election withdrawal, talking heads and cable news shows have been supplying the daily fix vis-à-vis constant speculations on President-Elect Obama's cabinet appointments.

The suspense behind who will replace Condoleezza Rice as Secretary of State, specifically, has caused the most commotion. The contender that is mentioned the most is not surprisingly, Hillary Clinton. Its not that it was obvious that Obama would offer Clinton, what some consider the top prize, its that whenever the Clintons are involved, the word drama is usually used in the context.

Critics and supporters alike, have been chewing up the potential decision, and it hasn't even been made yet. Some feel, that others are more deserving of the post because of early support for Obama, like John Kerry, for example. Feminists and Obama-cheerleaders (who pre-approve all he does) support the idea, positioning it as a brilliant move--to form a team of rivals and try to find consensus on what's best for the country.

While some speculate on who, if not Clinton, will get the Secretary of State position, others argue, that what is even more important, is who will replace Treasury Secretarty Henry Paulson along with other economic leaders appointed by the current administration. While the Secretary of Defense was once thought to be a more pressing choice (especially during times of war), the focus on the Treasury pick isn't surprising, as the only other news story other than Obama's transition to power, is ofcourse the dire economic condition we find ourselves in.

Ironically, some say Paulson posseses more power than the current President of the United States. While Paulson oversees the economic lifeline known as colloquial known as the bailout, News anchors did not hesitate to speculate on the video footage of world leaders seemingly refusing to shake Bush's hand at a G20 photo-op--taking the term lame-duck to all new heights or lows.

All this scrutiny should have been part of the public discourse long before this campaign. Perhaps, many shortcomings could have been avoided if leaders knew the American magnifying glass as asphixed on them. Although this public interest may be great for an incoming administration, it can also pose challenges. The expectations are being set really high for Obama's presidency, hopefully he rises to the challenge. The public must be mindful, however, of the seriousness of the problems we face, and the difficult it will be to implement campaign promises during times of economic turmoil.

The incoming administration must be truthful and we must be realistic about the work that needs to be done, or else both sides will be disappointed.