Obama's selections for high posts in his administration seem to have several things in common. First, a familiarity with "the process", knowledge and experience in getting things done in Washington. There should be no learning curve with the attendent mistakes made especially in the early Clinton and Carter administrations.

And second, maybe as a result of the first, they represent a more mainstream view of the world than the liberals who are the backbone of the Democratic Party. There seems to be more pragmatism than purity in their views. And von Bismark was correct in saying that "politics is the art of the possible".

Put the two together and I think Obama will get advice not only on policies but how to mold those policies so as to bring along the majority of Americans. That will, of course, freeze out the two extremes, and that's no real loss. After he has decided on the course, hopefully appealling to the moderates on both sides, it should be relatively easy for the staff and advisors to get the necessary legislation enacted.

Obama's challenge is to have these people who have their own well-voiced programs and agendas to sign off on his. He seems smooth enough to be able to do that, and not be swayed by the last person into his office. Or by folks sent over by the VP.

Where that leaves the Conservatives confused is that their way is ideology first, last and always. One either agrees 100% with them or that person is wrong. Not only wrong, but evil to the point of bordering on treason. Appealing to the moderates on the other side is weakness, dilution of that which is Good and to be avoided. It's a natural consequence of black-and-white thinking.

I suspect Obama will be accused of waffling, flip-flopping, adopting the Bush agenda, standing for nothing and having no principles by Conservatives as they assess his attempt to govern with the agreement of as much of the people as possible as weakness. So be it. For people for whom "bipartisanship" is a sucker-punch and where a "fairness doctrine" is rhetoric meaning "say one thing in order to buy time to the other" it will be a strange experience.

Arfr