By: Patrick Wheat
At least once a year for the past four years, a “help wanted” sign is placed in front of the Obama White House. But instead of looking for someone to mow the lawn or clean the Lincoln Bedroom, the President continually goes head hunting for a new Chief of Staff.
In the United States of America, the President is the head of state and serves as steward to direct the path through an unpredictable and commonly hostile world. But who is second in command of the White House? Who is the individual who sits behind the most powerful man on the planet? In the 21st century, this job description can apply to two positions. The first is the Vice-President, who serves as the President’s voice on many issues and executes strategies that receive the President’s authorization. The other is the White House Chief of Staff.
The Chief of Staff is the highest-ranking employee of the White House and serves as senior assistant to the President. Among the Chief of Staff’s duties include supervising White House personnel, managing the flow of information to the President’s office, negotiating with key members of Congress to implement the President’s agenda, and clearing the people allowed into the Oval Office. Historically, the Chief of Staff is “the Gatekeeper” – the man who controls any and all access to the President. It is often the President’s most trusted advisor and is arguably the most powerful non-elected person in Washington.
So why does President Barack Obama have such a hard time keeping one?
Since President Obama took office in 2009, five individuals have held the title of Chief of Staff. This is more than any other administration since the creation of this position under President Truman. President Obama has only just begun his second term so extrapolated out, we may see as many as 10 individuals serve as one of his most trusted advisors.
The problem with this rotating door of individuals is that the Chief of Staff is to the President what a Chief Operating Officer is to a C.E.O. in a Fortune 500 company. The President decides on a direction to follow, and the Chief of Staff organizes and executes political strategy to accomplish what the President has directed. Every Chief of Staff has their own manner of doing this, with each having a different style of delegating, coordinating, and executing political agendas. For example, Rahm Emanuel had a more heavy-handed and direct approach than William Daley, who relied more heavily on his staffer’s work. These constant switches in operation strategies can result in extraordinary chaos, which can negatively affect the progress of President Obama’s agenda.
So, why has there been a high turnover rate in this position? There are a couple possible reasons. The first is that President Obama appoints people that he likes and trusts to this position. Ordinarily, this is an advantage, but it seems that the Chief of Staff role is simply a placeholder seat for a future position. For example, out of the five Chief of Staffs, three currently hold another high-ranking position within the US government. Rahm Emanuel, the longest serving Chief of Staff who served from January 2009 to October 2010, is the current Mayor of Chicago. Pete Rouse, the interim Chief of Staff who served from October 2010 to January 2011, serves as a Counselor to the President on Domestic Issues. Jack Lew, who served from January 2012 to January 2013, was nominated to become Secretary of the Treasury for the President’s second term. The only individual who does not currently hold political office after leaving the White House, William Daley, has begun investigating a possible run for the position of Governor of Illinois.
Another reason is that the position of Chief of Staff is notorious for being stress filled and draining. Most of these gentlemen have already spent decades working for the government and are no longer young men, with the youngest being Emanuel who is 53 years old. These gentlemen may feel that they have served their country and they have done enough, but when it is a position of such importance like the Chief of Staff, anyone with this mentality should not attempt this high stress job.
So, what characteristics should the President look for in future candidates? The previous men have been capable, hardworking, and intelligent individuals all well versed in affairs of state. They have been committed to President Obama’s vision for America and have been willing to pass up other opportunities with much more money and much less stress. However, the complication is that they appear to be so committed to building something that will last beyond their lives, whether it be a policy initiative, a new trade agreement, or just a legacy to be remembered by, that they want to continue building beyond the White House. So, as contradictory as it sounds, it seems the best chance for the President to keep a Chief of Staff is to find someone committed to the future they can create while he is in office, but willing to stick with him because they know that they will have time to craft a legacy after the President leaves office.
Is Denis McDonough, the new Chief of Staff, that man? It is too early to tell, as he has been in office for less than a week. What we can tell, however, is that McDonough has been a key player in shaping foreign policy since then-Senator Obama’s 2008 campaign for the Presidency. He is the youngest Chief of Staff for the President thus far, at age 43, which means he has years ahead of him to build a personal legacy after the President leaves office.
And finally, the only position that the President might ask McDonough to take is as Secretary of Defense, due to McDonough’s unique insight on to matters of foreign policy and defense. Fortunately, this is a position currently filled by Leon Panetta and the President has already nominated his successor, Chuck Hagel. In McDonough, it appears that the President has found a horse that will back and support him through the next four years.
Should McDonough follow the patterns of his predecessors, however, President Barack Obama’s inability to keep someone in the Chief of Staff’s chair is likely to be a liability to his plans for the next four years. It is hoped that Denis McDonough will be up to the challenge. If not, all they need to do is place a “help wanted” sign on the West Lawn of the White House. Eventually they will get the position filled.
