It is a poorly kept secret that presidential candidates frequently promise way more than they can reasonably expect to be able to deliver, and American voters seem to accept that. Now that the voting is over and candidate Obama has been named President-elect Obama, the guessing as to which of his promises he is most serious about begins.
Obama himself has told various media outlets what his immediate priorities will be and stabilizing the troubled financial system and implementing his tax cut plan are the first he mentioned. He has also cited new investments in renewable energy and the creation of jobs within the industry, and making progress toward near-universal health care before the end of his first term.
Where does that leave the rest of his promises? Interest groups are left to search for clues and hints.
For example, tech watchers are speculating that the naming of some technology executives to his transition team signals that he’s going to follow through with his proposal to appoint a chief technology officer (CTO) to the White House. Many think former IAC/InterActiveCorp executive Julius Genachowski, who is on the transition team, would be a strong contender for the CTO position.
The CTO could lead the drive to create a “Google for government” that would allow new levels of transparency and access to government agencies - something Obama stressed repeatedly.
Some have speculated that Obama could ask a well-known industry executive like Google CEO Eric Schmidt, also part of the transition team, or Amazon CEO Jeffrey Bezos, to be White House CTO. Insiders say it is highly unlikely either would leave their positions for the job, and one can hardly blame them. Although the CTO position is certain to have a good share of Obama’s attention, he will need to focus on many other issues as well, and this person will just be one of many advisers jostling to get the president’s ear. It's hard to imagine a CEO used to running his own multi-billion dollar company with the salary to match giving all that up to be a bureaucrat.
With the economy, the energy crisis, and of course – national security, taking front and center, it is understandable that concerns like early childhood education, infrastructure investment, and reform of No Child Left Behind will necessarily have to take a back seat. However, in 2012, a President Obama seeking reelection will have to run on a real record and not just promises.
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