The World

“Washington is a tough town”, remarked a friend of mine, as we surveyed the make-up of Obama’s new national-security team. What he meant was that the Obama loyalists, who had slaved away on the campaign, have got none of the top jobs.

I realise that the fate of the Obama campaign team may not be the primary concern of foreigners, trying to figure out the future of American foreign policy. But I think the way Obama has handled his inner circle still says something interesting about the man.

Advisers who sign up for a presidential campaign are basically buying a lottery ticket. The idea is that if their candidate wins, they get to share in some of the spoils. But look at who Obama has appointed to the three biggest foreign policy jobs: Hillary Clinton, his arch-rival, gets the State Department; James Jones, a marine general who was close to John McCain, gets National Security; Robert Gates is held over from the Bush administration at Defence. And Obama’s intimates: Samantha Power, Tony Lake, Richard Danzig – so far, nothing. Only Susan Rice has made the cut as ambassador to the UN. And although she made a brave face of it, at the press conference that has just finished, Rice will probably be disappointed not to be in the White House – and right next to Obama, as she was throughout the campaign.

I can see the logic behind all of these choices. There is a clear political calculation in buying off the Clintons – and Hillary is very able and well-known abroad. Gates is generally thought to have returned common sense to the Pentagon, after the madness of the Rumsfeld years. And since Democrats are often faintly suspect to the military, it probably helps to have a seven-foot (well, over six foot, anyway) marine general in the White House.

As for the people who did foreign policy for Obama during the campaign, I guess most of them will be looked after – at a lower level. The ambassadorship to the UN has often been a stepping stone to greater things, and could be again for Rice. Richard Danzig may be slotted high up into the Pentagon hierarchy, and could replace Gates – if and when he gets his oft-stated wish of returning to Texas. Poor old Samantha Power was forced off the campaign, after off-the-record remarks about Hillary being a monster were printed. So I guess that rules out a job for her at the State Department. Tony Lake is relatively old – and has apparently said he doesn’t want a job. Jim Steinberg, who has missed out on the top job at the NSC, may be slotted high up into the State Department – since he worked at the Clinton White House.

And what does all this say about Obama? Well, I suppose that he is tough and unsentimental. He knows that these are crucial jobs that cannot be handed out as gifts for loyalty and hard work.