Ever since the Season of Transition began, it hasn't escaped the media's attention that President-Elect Barack Obama has been signing up his political opponents to serve in his administration. Hillary Clinton will now face all incoming sniper fire diplomatically! Bill "Judas" Richardson will manage the nation's last thirty pieces of silver! And Bush's Secretary of Defense is being held over, to try to win a Presidential Medal the honest way. But how will Obama keep his agenda from being undermined by these wily former foes?
The media has a catch phrase for all of this. You've heard it. It's "Team of Rivals." The press keeps repeating "Team of Rivals," over and over again, because after enough iterations, the hologram of Will.i.Am will appear, with Christmas presents for everyone. I don't need to tell you about where that term comes from -- America either has perfect operating awareness of the origin of the term or they reside in a blissful ignorance I don't dare disrupt.
But brother, if you want to reflect on some real teams of rivals, check out this article by Daily Beast writer/regular co-vlogger Ana Marie Cox. Her capper is a fivesome that you straight up won't believe ever worked together:
Rahm Emanuel, chief of staff-designate for Obama; Mark McKinnon, former Bush ad man and McCain strategist; David Axelrod, presidential adviser-designate for Obama; Bill McInturf, Republican pollster; Matthew Dowd, former Bush strategist. This motley crew, all with major roles in recent political contests, came together as consultants drafted for the 1991 Houston mayoral race of businessman Bob Lanier. All friends still, McKinnon and Axelrod remain the closest: "There the bond developed and never broke," says McKinnon. "Although technically, neither of us live in D.C. Maybe that's why we're friends." This dream team wound up guiding Lanier to victory, a feat McKinnon still marvels at: "On paper the guy was totally unelectable." Emanuel ran opposition research--"hall of fame level," says McKinnon--and the rest of the group argued and spent Lanier's money. "Was great fun and it was a time we were all younger and most of us had more hair," says Dowd. "And the conference calls together were quite the discussion."
THAT, my dearies, is RIVALICIOUS. The piece also contains a famous statement from Hillary Clinton spokesman Phil Singer, elucidating his political philosophy: "Fuck you and the whole fucking cabal!" Coincidentally, this is also the complete text of my Last Will and Testament.