David Sirota has observed previously and observes once again that there seem to be many more progressive voices on the political side of the administration than on the wonkier policy side. What the implications of that are would depend a lot on the character of the president. This president seems determined to listen to his policy aides on policy questions. Which is as it should be. But it means that the prevailing balance is very disadvantageous to progressives.
And I suppose that, from some detached intellectual perspective, we should feel relieved that the President listens to his "policy wonks" and speaks in complete sentences and all that stuff that really smart people do. But this, to me, appears as artifice designed to please the easily flattered. It allows people who fashion themselves exceptionally intelligent to demonstrate this by expressing their appreciation of these personality traits of the President's.
But if one puts the pretty pleasantries aside what this really tells us is that Obama has chosen to seat his more progressive political advisers, the people more in tune with the popular movement that swept him into office, at the children's table. Meanwhile the grown ups at the wonks' table all happen to be members of the Wall Street club. That is very convenient.
Update: And no I wouldn't be surprised to learn that there is a degree of Kabuki involved in the process of leaks and denials by which these things are rolled out. But there is a related tendency to use this as supporting evidence of the Ninja President theory... which is something I'm pretty much done with.
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