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The Obama Watch
Why Rice?
In sticking by Susan Rice, Obama has the most to lose.
The biggest political mistakes are made when parties are most certain they are right. The nomination of Susan Rice to be Secretary of State would bring both parties into that level of certitude…and risk. However, it is undoubtedly Obama who has the most to lose.
Obama has been aggressively intent on claiming and exploiting a mandate from the November election. Nominating UN Ambassador Susan Rice to be Hillary Clinton’s replacement would fit not only with Obama’s mandate agenda, but also reinforce the demographic point November seemed to highlight. The White House relishes forcing Republicans into a fight over a minority candidate.
Republicans are equally eager to explore an issue Romney painfully fumbled: the 9/11 attack in Benghazi, which left four Americans dead. Rice sits at the pivotal point of that story: the Administration’s recognition, and then explanation, of this terrorist act. Republicans see a Rice nomination as the chance finally to have a public debate over this.
So focused on their clear opportunities, each side is overlooking equally obvious risks.
For Republicans, November’s demographic gaps had a real impact on the election’s outcomes. Their presidential candidate lost among women, who made up 53% of the electorate, 55%-44%. And they lost among Blacks 93%-6%. Opposition to Rice’s nomination could keep those cleavages fresh.
For Obama though, the risk is far greater, and more importantly, unnecessary.
The Benghazi attack was a debacle of the first magnitude. From start to finish — if the story really is finished — there are serious questions still to be asked and the answers won’t be flattering to anyone involved. However, for whatever reason, the Administration has largely gotten a pass on Benghazi.
The attack raises the ultimate Watergate question: What did you know and when did you know it? However, a Rice nomination raises an even more fundamental one first: Why would Obama want this fight?
A Rice nomination would open an issue Obama has largely escaped, thrusts it before a media that has largely ignored it, and onto Capitol Hill, the split control of which has kept this issue out of Congress. There the nomination would stay — not for hours, which the Administration has sought to avoid thus far — but for days.
And the Administration’s defense would rest on Susan Rice, whose inability to assuage her critics’ concerns in private would be put to the test in public.
All this would be done at the start of his second term, when he is trying to claim and exercise a mandate.
While it may seem inconceivable that Obama would actually bring this disadvantageous and unnecessary fight on himself, we must remember: He has done it before, on a far bigger scale, and at just such a juncture.
Fresh in office, with the economy in recession, his concerted effort with overwhelming Congressional majorities was for… healthcare overall. It consumed over a year of his presidency, failed to attract any bipartisan support, and came within a single vote of failing to pass at all. And it still remains unpopular with a majority of Americans.
Diverting his agenda to nominate Rice could again risk immediately consuming the momentum he brought out of November. He would be risking it this time, not on a policy, but on a person few people know now or will remember later, but who could turn a largely neglected issue into something that the public might come to never forget.
And this time the cost would come out of a smaller stock of political capital.
About the Author
J.T. Young served in the Department of Treasury and the Office of Management and Budget from 2001 to 2004 and as a Congressional staff member from 1987 to 2000.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (31) | Leave a comment
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GobBluthe| 12.11.12 @ 6:22AM
We should relish this. It isn't as though Obama will nominate anyone philosophically better.
Jack in Wi| 12.11.12 @ 6:52AM
Benghazi happened on Hillary Clinton's watch. Rice won't be any worse then Clinton, maybe better. Why waste ammunition on a war not worth fighting? If she is a bad Secretary of State, then it is on Obama. Benghazi is an issue that the vast majority of American's could care less about. We let Bush lie us into Iraq and Obama lie us into Libya and keep us in Afganistan. 6000 Americans were killed and 50,000 thousand wounded in those fiasco's. Trillions have been wasted. That is what the uproar should be about.
Stephie| 12.11.12 @ 7:41AM
Rice's connection with this and the Kobar Tower explosion is curious. She will tow the line for obama that America is bad and she will help put more people in place in Mid East countries to help further the takeover of the Muslim Brotherhood and sharia law. Coming to America soon!
loulou| 12.11.12 @ 11:19AM
It's here in America NOW!
The CIA, FBI, the military, the White House, NASA...
EmilyJennifer| 12.11.12 @ 6:12PM
Love my job, since I've been bringing in $5600… I sit at home, music playing while I work in front of my new iMac that I got now that I'm making it online(Click on menu Home)
......goo.gl/5rYLl
Joellen| 12.11.12 @ 7:07AM
Why Susan Rice, well why dont we all check and see how much Rice is worth (about 24 million); and lets look into what she has invested about $300-600,000, the oil pipleline in Cananda that her boss seems to be against. These are things that make one go hmmm.
PJ| 12.11.12 @ 7:33AM
When I read about Rice's investment in the Canadian companies that are connected with the Keystone's pipeline, my 1st thought was "We're going to have a new pipeline built."
Obama is going to use it as a bargaining chip somehow. Aren't these politicians so easy to read?
Von Mises Jr| 12.11.12 @ 7:13AM
Regardless of whether Rice is nominated or not, the Republicans should continue to demand the truth about Benghazi. This is a significant national travesty and disgrace, as well as anathema to the liberals. Unfortunately, it seems like Issa is the only one interested in this inside the Beltway.
Obama played his stupid base (like Perp and brooksie) with nonsense about closing Gitmo, ending renditions and more recently on defeating Al Qaeda. But a black ops secret prison and funneling weapons to Al Qaeda (similar to Iran Contra) flies in the face of their entire narrative. I explained what Benghazi was about to some liberals and one almost fainted while the other drew an imaginary shield blurting "stop, shut up." I think they all owe us an explanation and an apology (if one can apologize for being stupid).
Of course Schmidt will make sure that the story doesn't exist on the internet in one year from now, but that is why the new Winston Schmidt gets to dodge $3.1B in taxes.
Admittedly, the stupid liberal base would not care if the torture and sodomy of Stevens was a daily routine as long as it out of sight and out of mind. But they will care when it hits home. After their "superman" let the Al Qaeda Islamist go without even defending our people and territory, and he did nothing to respond to Benghazi or Iran's buzzing our drone. We can remind them of Benghazi when the terror occurs in their backyard.
Dodd2| 12.11.12 @ 7:37AM
It's a tribal thing.
Stephie| 12.11.12 @ 7:44AM
We're being ruled and ruined by racist blacks and half blacks.
TLP| 12.11.12 @ 7:48AM
The White House relishes the idea of forcing Republicans into a fight over a Minority candidate.
This Country is being TAKEN DOWN by its Minorities.
Why isn't Charlie Rangel in Jail? Why isn't Sharpton in Jail? How does a Black Man get a Free Pass for the life he's lived? 20 Years of surrounding himself with Cop Killers, Bomb Throwers and The Black Panthers? 20 Years of walking the streets with Domestic Terrorists, Muslim Terrorists, and Louis Farrakhan? 20 Years in a Black Racist's Church, listening to White Hating, Jew Hating, America Hating BILE? Having this Racist, Anti-Semite as his Mentor. Having this Racist Anti-Semite perform his Marriage and Baptize his Children into his Church of Hate?
If ANY WHITE POLITICIAN sat in a Racist/Anti-Semitic Church for ONE MINUTE? They would be finished.
IF ANY WHITE POLITICIAN hung around with these kinds of people for ONE MINUTE? They would be finished.
It took George Bush 3 Days to get to New Orleans. He was Savaged by the Left. Obama took 5 Days to get there, preferring to FUND RAISE instead.
He flew to Las Vegas and to Jay Zee's House, to FUND RAISE, even as his fellow Muslims were dragging the 1st US Ambassador to be Murdered in 33 Years, through the streets of Benghazi. Then he Lied through his teeth like the Lying POS that he is.
And nobody says a GODDAMNED THING, because of the Colour of his skin.
Look at the Content of his Character.
He's Filth.
He's always been Filth.
TW in SC| 12.11.12 @ 10:27AM
The irony bell tolls loudly by the socialists acknowledging their incredibly low opinion of minorities by repeatedly giving them a pass. Otherwise, they would expect a standard from them that meets or exceeds their own. But then, socialists only have ridiculously low standards for themselves while hypocritically holding conservatives to a higher standard.
They have, in effect, affirmed that they set low goals and fail to meet them.
loulou| 12.11.12 @ 11:21AM
In all fairness, Jon Corzine is white and lost $50 billion of other people's money and got off scot free.
SUBVET| 12.11.12 @ 5:34PM
Tim..........."How does a black man get a free pass for the live he's lived"
Tim ......black or white there is no free pass...at least that's what the bible says.....one day we all will be judged....who knows at the last minute barry might figure it out.
He could be your neighbor someday....
PJ| 12.11.12 @ 7:52AM
Obama has women issues. Some deep-seeded neurosis, derived from his lack of maternal love, is being manifested in his extraordinary way of standing by the very non-saintly women in his life.
I don't pretend to be a psychologist, but this man is so easy to read!
saleboter| 12.11.12 @ 8:10AM
There's room under the bus
Hardcard| 12.11.12 @ 8:17AM
Why rice? Why not they won the election now the regime will do whatever they want, as of November 6,2012 obamao has cart blanche to lie,cheat, steal, do whatever he wants to do just like hitler in 1936, the gloves came off.
KennesawJack| 12.11.12 @ 8:39AM
J. T., the reason is simply hubris. He has it. He is convinced he owns the press (correctly), he is convinced that 98% of blacks in America will eat whatever sh*t he puts before them as long as he call it ice cream, knows that the academic elite are so consumed with hatred for an economic system they are unequipped to compete in, and (most importantly) he is opposed by a Republican Party comprised of moral and political cowards of the first stripe. He nominates her simply because he can and he KNOWS he will win. The notion that a days long confirmation will somehow expose the murder that was Benghazi for what it was is simply childish, wishful, thinking. But then, our side has become fairly adept at that over the last four years.
Kwan| 12.11.12 @ 8:56AM
Obama's appointments to positions of responsibility in his administration seem to follow the same basic pattern. If you are totally unqualified for the position and a far-left radical (Notice that this perfectly defines the Community Organizer himself.), then you got Obama's seal-of-approval.
c. j. acworth| 12.11.12 @ 9:15AM
Give him his choice for Sec.State. And give him his tax increases on "millionaires and billionaires" too. The only thing Republicans can hope to do now is make sure that Obama and the democrat party totally own the crash that is coming. The crash is baked in, there is no avoiding it. The Stupid Party can only hope to be allowed to pick up the pieces afterward, always assuming, of course that they have learned a few things about fiscal responsibility themselves.
mike 3/505| 12.11.12 @ 1:15PM
Agree...with one exception...do not, repeat, do not "consent" to any lifetime or extended (10 years for FBI Director) appointments. filibuster for 4 years if necessary. Recess appointments have a limited shelf life. Make Obama use them. Under no circumstances should be be allowed to seat a SCOTUS Judge.
Anthony| 12.11.12 @ 9:23AM
OBOZO LIED
Obozo lied, the Ambassador died
It wasn't the video Obama
it was you bragging on Osama.
Four Americans are dead
It was the video Obozo said
Hillary and Rice carried the lie
How many more Americans will die?
Obozo sent Rice out to shill
and now the Rs want her to chill
Lying frauds they've all become
Perhaps soon they'll all be done
Getting rid of them, will be fun.
Pecos Pete| 12.11.12 @ 10:34AM
Snap. Snap. Snap. Snap.
KennesawJack| 12.11.12 @ 11:11AM
Should have saved that for Friday. Who knows what you might have won.
SUBVET| 12.11.12 @ 5:36PM
Ya, ...... a bag of flour for all the wet spots.
CJW| 12.11.12 @ 1:04PM
Anthony
You should submit this as your early entry for Friday. very good.
BackToBasics| 12.11.12 @ 9:25AM
Rice is a joke as Secretary of State maybe purposefully chosen so that foreign leaders can further laugh at America's ineptness. It's all about knocking America down to size.....
As for Bhengazi, Republicans are still afraid to do anything that will make them less loved by the press. Republican leaders still act like they have someting to lose by going after the truth. The election taught them nothing. They'd be better off developing a spine. They might get to like it and the positive results that would come from it but I don't expect it.
Louis Jenkins| 12.11.12 @ 9:33AM
Susan Rice is Obama's yes man, er, ahh, person. With Hillary globe trotting from the stomach virus she recently had I'm sure her shoes will be hard to fill. The Republican leadership and their crew lost the election. They want to show off their muscle, so they've taken the liar (Rice) to task.
mike 3/505| 12.11.12 @ 11:11AM
"When two armies choose to give battle they do so because they perceive a strength in themselves or a weakness in their opponent that the other side does not see. The problem is: Only one can be right. "
One of Murphy's Laws of Combat states, "When both sides are convinced they are about to lose, they are both right."
George S| 12.11.12 @ 11:47AM
Yes, Obama should be very afraid about the Rice - Benghazi connection. Shakin' scared. The last thing Obama needs is Rep. Darrell Issa's committee coming after him the way the went after Holder on Fast & Furious.
You saw how that turned out.
Marc Jeric| 12.13.12 @ 2:46AM
Susan Rice is a typical affirmative action product.