Juan Pablo Rivera Garza
Blogs Editor
With the re-election of President Barack Obama already long past, the issues of the fiscal cliff, crisis situations in the Middle East, and the still recovering job market are back on the forefront of the national conversation. These complex issues at times are difficult to parse through, and there’s no question that they are going to be difficult to resolve. Here’s what’s important:
President Obama Will Come Out a Winner
No matter what happens in the fiscal cliff negotiations, President Obama is going to look good. Let’s say that the President cuts a deal with Congressional Republicans and they avoid the fiscal cliff. If this were to happen the President will be able to not only increase his credibility on bipartisanship, but also most likely succeed in his pursuit to end Bush-Era tax cuts for the wealthiest two percent of Americans (a proposal that is popular with the majority of Americans). Now, let’s say that no deal is cut, and the country goes off the fiscal cliff. Even in this situation, the President will still come off relatively unscathed, according to a recent CNN opinion poll the majority of Americans would blame Congressional Republicans instead of the President if the country goes off the fiscal cliff.
Expect a Bold Pick For Obama’s Cabinet
With many of the President’s cabinet ready to retire after a long four years, the opportunity for the President to make some bold nominations is present. Currently, the three most important Cabinet positions of State, Defense, and Treasury are most likely going to be vacated in the next four months. The President has a couple of choices of who to fill them with.
DEFENSE
Many Washington insiders have hinted that the President is seriously contemplating nominating his old friend Former Republican Senator Chuck Hagel for Defense Secretary. Another notable possibility is Michele Flourny the Former Under-Secretary of Defense for Policy, who would be the first woman Secretary of Defense.
STATE
The Secretary of State is also a highly coveted position, and although many have been distracted by the possibility that embattled U.N. ambassador Susan Rice could be nominated by the President, or the more conventional pick Democratic Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, some have mentioned Former Governor of Utah and 2012 Republican Presidential Primary candidate Jon Huntsman as a possible choice of the administration. The nomination of either Senator Hagel or Governor Huntsman could prove to be hugely beneficial politically for the President by showing a serious attempt to work in a bipartisan manner.
TREASURY
The office of Treasury Secretary could also very well be filled with a bold choice, such as Former Chief of Staff under President Clinton Erskine Bowles, who notably headed the budget commission “Simpson-Bowles” with Former Senator Alan Simpson. His nomination would show a serious commitment on the part of President Obama for budget and spending reform, once again providing a window for bipartisanship in gridlocked stricken Washington. That goes with noting that at this point the President will most likely choose his White House Chief of Staff Jacob Lew.
Keep An Eye On The Middle-East
The next year will most likely be as interesting and as transformational in the Middle-East as the last 2 have been. The transition of Arab and North African countries into Democracies will be a very difficult and tumultuous process, and it will require the full attention of the State Department and America’s leaders. The already increasing unrest in Egypt is just a sneak peek into what the next year might entail, as many of these newly freed people will have to fight in an attempt to preserve the freedom they fought for. Not to mention, the ever looming specter of a rapidly nuclear-izing Iran will keep many diplomats across the world on their toes.
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