President-elect Barack Obama, after running a truly revolutionary and groundbreaking campaign to become the first African American president of the United States, has also taken a unique approach toward the vetting process of members of his future cabinet. His new Web site, change.gov, is dedicated to increasing the amount of transparency in his new administration. Aside from soliciting suggestions from U.S. citizens about their personal vision for a better America, the site also invites Joe Six-Pack and Jane-Hockey Mom to apply for a post within the new administration if they so desire.
The Web site is also aimed to ease the period of transition between the current moment and Jan. 20 when Obama is sworn in as president, and to facilitate this process, also lists some of Mr. Obama’s top priorities as chief executive officer. A blog will document key issues that arise during the transition process, and the site will also include biographies and background information on the people that are being recruited for cabinet positions.
Any effort to increase transparency in the American political arena should be lauded as a move in a positive direction. With so many instances of political crony-dom and downright closed-door shadiness fresh in the public memory these past eight years, it’s certainly a relief to see that our nation’s next leader is making a concerted effort to govern in a more democratic fashion, taking the opinion of everyday citizens into consideration in the decision-making process.
Change.gov is also a perfect example of the immense positive potential represented by the Internet, providing the opportunity for virtually anyone to gain access to information about Obama’s policy prerogatives and decisions. It is also a pretty brilliant move on behalf of the Obama campaign, as the idea of a transparent Web site essentially cuts out the mitigating influence of the greater news media on disseminating information pertinent to his administration. It will allow him the opportunity to put forth his side of the story to the American public, rather than relying on other news sources as has been traditionally done in the past. It’s the closest that any president-to-be has ever come to owning his own newspaper or television station, and will in all likelihood revolutionize the ways in which future candidates conduct their campaigns and administrations. The world of politics may never be the same again.
Obama online
Published: Sunday, November 9, 2008
Updated: Sunday, November 9, 2008
1 comments
Russ Onderko RC '80
Lets all pray that Obama is smart enough to refrain from filling his cabinet and other critical posts with retreads from the Clinton and Carter Adminstrations. The last thing we need is a joke like Madeline Albright back in power handing out autographed basketballs to some our our country's most devious enemies. The recent appointment of Rahm Emanual to the Chief of Staff post and Obama's consideration of John Kerry as Secretary of State is not giving me a warm and fuzzy that the change people are expecting is really going to take place. It may be more of the same old, same old.
