Posted on 03/08/2010 12:52:29 PM PST by ConjunctionJunction
A prominent Chicago Democrat, mulling the Times's story on David Axelrod and Axelrod's complaints about Washington's "palace intrigue pathology," emails that the White House's problem is that Chicago is different from Washington, but not in that way.
My correspondent's provocative take:
First, court intrigue is the way of politics in Chicago and Illinois.
Second, Ax's -- and to a degree Obama's -- problem is that they aren't used to governance that requires multi-party and intra-party skills, where the chief executive isn't in absolute control of all levers of government. The "Chicago Way" is profoundly misunderstood. It isn't, first and foremost, about bullying politics; it's about absolute control and the means to achieve it. The "Chicago Way" would never work in DC, and I believe their frame of reference doesn't allow them to see DC otherwise.
Good assessment by Ben. The “Chicago Way” also includes a heapin-helpin of plausible deniability (cf: R. Daly); arm’s length control.
The "Chicago Way" is profoundly misunderstood. It isn't, first and foremost, about bullying politics; it's about absolute control and the means to achieve it. The "Chicago Way" would never work in DC, and I believe their frame of reference doesn't allow them to see DC otherwise.
“The “Chicago Way” would never work in DC.”
“The “Chicago Way” would never work in a democracy.
Bullying politics and absolute Federal control...change you can believe in.
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