I have zero inside knowledge of what's going on when it comes to the matter of President Obama's thought process on his soon to be Cabinet member. However, I have a hunch this is all just a political stunt designed to play out better for the Democrats than the Republicans.
Susan Rice found herself on the hot seat after the Benghazi incident. This happened at a time when most people sensed Obama was probably going to win the presidency again and Romney just didn't have what it would take to defeat the incumbent. The Benghazi tragedy provided the desperate right the opportunity to go on a witch hunt and try to put a chink in the shiny foreign and military policy armor of Obama. It certainly seems like there were mistakes made when it comes to protecting the ambassador and the three others that were killed. It also seems like there was some confusion in the immediate aftermath of the ordeal as to exactly what went down. However, it just didn't seem as corrupt and diabolical as those on the right were trying to paint it.
Susan Rice was and is our Ambassador to The United Nations. It is rumored she was near the top of Obama's list to replace Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State. Because Susan Rice made the rounds on the weekend news circuit and seemed to be inaccurate about some of the details a few days after the incident she became the target of the hail mary pass being attempted by the right wing. High profile leaders of the GOP were "shocked" someone of Rice's stature would even appear on the Sunday morning talk shows. What a hypocritical and nonsensical position to hold. I could go on and on about the right wing and their idiotic and dire tactics used at all costs to try to gain power, but what I really want to focus on is the politics of the left.
First of all, the fact that Rice was the one making the rounds immediately after the incident should have been an issue with people, especially those looking to have an issue. Why Rice? I suspect it wasn't Hillary Clinton because the administration knew things might not go well. I doubt it was because Hillary had a long week and was "tired".
Secondly, this magically, right before our eyes, turned from grilling Rice on Benghazi to having public hearings on the acceptance of Rice as a possible nomination for Secretary of State. How did that happen you ask? Well, Obama won the election and no one really cared about Benghazi anymore, as if they ever did. Those that were looking to bash Obama for any reason at all just shifted gears and kept Rice as their punching bag.
Next, if President Obama wanted to actually nominate Rice for his Cabinet and replace Hillary then I find it unpatriotic to "withdraw from consideration". Shouldn't the President be the one that decides if you are fit to serve the country in this capacity? If I were just sitting here in my man cave, no desire to publicly serve my country, and I received a call from Obama's team (or any President) and they informed me they were considering me for a position then I doubt I would withdraw my name. Even if I was the most unqualified and worst person for the spot, I still think I would let the President make that decision. I might tell him my concerns and explain to him I think he's looking for a different Jason Hedrick (I'm the dude), but I can't imagine withdrawing my name from consideration. Is that even possible?
What seems more likely, just a hunch, is Obama wasn't going to select Rice for the position. If he just announces a different nomination and leaves the Rice "controversy" hanging then that can be spun as a victory by the right. They could take it to mean Obama agreed with them and didn't think Rice was qualified. They could take it to mean Obama was afraid to fight this confirmation battle with them. However, if Rice withdraws from consideration then that solves that problem.
I also think this is a strategy to make the Republicans the losers in the public arena. The right will still spin this as a victory. The only problem in this scenario is they look like assholes. The left can paint the picture that Rice was totally qualified and possibly our best option but the jerk wads on the right were bullies and prevented that from happening. I totally admit this is quite clever and probably a good play, but it's not change; it's politics as usual. Sure, the Obama team is very smart and they seem to always be one step ahead of the ignorant hijackers of the Grand Old Party, but just because this team is very good at politics doesn't mean it's change.
I honestly believe President Obama will most likely go down in history as one of our best presidents. It's way too early to make good predictions about how future generations will view this period, but I'm confident his many accomplished feats will be viewed positively. Having stated that, I confess I find myself let down by his tenure. Not for any of the policies he's enacted or supported, but because the change he offered didn't really end up being something I can believe in.
I've always been a Dr. Ron Paul guy. I'm the first to admit the dude is anchored to some nutty positions and his strict Libertarian prescription isn't the remedy for all our ails, but he was change. Washington would have changed in some way if Paul would have won the presidency. I don't even know how but it would have.
I'm a realist. I suspect President Obama is a very bright guy and he probably is doing the best he can given the circumstances. But, this still disappoints me. This tells me he has assessed the situation and this is the best option. This is why he'll be viewed as one of the great ones. When future historians study the charts and examine the facts they'll clearly be able to spot a turning point in our nation during Obama's terms. Despite the fact that people are tired of hearing it, Obama did inherit a mess. He did a lot right to turn things around and get us headed back in the right direction. And, he did it with nothing but opposition from one party. Still, he's just a really good leader and talented at politics. I don't see the change.
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