Reading around, I see a lot of ZOMG HILLARY and ZOMG THIS TREASURY DUDE and insta-analysis and joy or disappointment and predications about what this REALLY MEANS for the coming Obama presidency which seems like it’s in its fifth year already, is how this is stretching out. I’m almost happy the holidays are almost here, because even though I’m not done with my shopping it will give all the crack squirrels in the world something to do other than freak out about this appointment versus that one.
Part of it’s that there isn’t an Obama presidency yet. Part of it’s that there’s so much speculation about who’s gonna do what; part of it’s that we’re trying to figure out what we thought about Obama was true and what was some combination of adrenaline, alcohol and projection. Part of it’s that unlike during the campaign, we’re all just watching now. You can’t go door-to-door to get Richardson made Secretary of Commerce. Well, you can, but people will stare at you funny.
Part of it, of though, is that we’re simply not used to having a president whose intelligence and decisions we can trust. It’s not about whether you trust Obama, it’s not even about whether he’s trustworthy. Opinions on that can differ and only time will tell. It’s about whether you can be rewired to give anybody in this job the barest amount of the benefit of the doubt ever again.
I mean, for eight years we have basically had a president we were afraid was gonna sit on the button. We had this chewy little asshole who every time he opened his mouth caused an international incident, who couldn’t pick up the phone without almost burning the place down. He and his people gave us absolutely no indication we could stop paying attention for a second because if this was the shit they did while we werewatching, I mean, good God. It was like watching a guy juggle fire, and not well, and for eight years.
It’s gonna take us a minute to stop jumping every time the phone rings.
A.