Obama nominates fundraiser to Paris post

[MADem]

19. Not just money; fame AND connections. Don't you think it makes sense for a President to

nominate a FRIEND to these posts? And who is a better friend than a fundraiser? They've obviously got the POTUS's best interests at heart, and they have delivered in the past. The FRIEND will be honest with the POTUS, and the POTUS can speak frankly with the friend. What's the problem, really?

Every ambassadorship of any substance is like this--and the locals LIKE it because they know they aren't talking to some "functionary" with a particular skillset and "country knowledge," they are talking to someone who has the EAR of the President. That's the purpose; that's the utility of the person.

The DEPUTY ambassador is the person with the diplomatic skills, the country knowledge, the language talent, etc. That's the person the locals go to if they need to do serious business that has to do with simple nuts and bolts. But, if they want a word with the POTUS by proxy, they go to the ambassador.

The system works. The reason it works is because the person the POTUS has chosen, out of friendship and loyalty, can get a call through to the Oval Office if needs must, without having to go through STATE.


This is movie star John Gavin. He was ambassador to Mexico, appointed by Reagan. He didn't have any diplomatic experience.


Here's Shirley "animal crackers in my soup" Temple Black--Gerald Ford sent her to Ghana, and GHW Bush sent her to Czechoslovakia. She had no diplomatic experience when Ford tapped her. She was a rich, conservative Republican, though.

If you want someone with "extensive diplomatic experience" you talk to Number 2 in the pecking order. If you want someone who will get your point across to the POTUS, you talk to the fundraiser/movie star/celebrity/businessperson/tycoon that POTUS has sent along as his rep.