Today’s edition of the Politico Playbook is out, and it’s all about what we can expect from the incoming Biden administration:
Today's Playbook: Revenge of the careerists. The biggest shift in Washington in January won’t only be that Democrats are taking the White House. It will be that the Biden administration will be — as @BrendanBuck pointed out — “delightfully boring.”
— Anna Palmer (@apalmerdc) November 24, 2020
Playbook.
THE BIGGEST SHIFT in Washington in January won’t only be that Democrats are taking the White House. It will be that the BIDEN administration will be — as @BrendanBuck pointed out — “delightfully boring.”@harrispolitico calls it “Joe Biden’s Team of Careerists.” pic.twitter.com/kFcC8EpG1u
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) November 24, 2020
THIS IS AN ADMIN filled with people who have deep experience in government and in the agencies they will be running. THE POST puts it this way: “By design, they seem meant to project a dutiful competence, as Biden creates a government overseen by those who have run it before.”
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) November 24, 2020
This administration will be filled with people who have deep experience in government and in the agencies they will be running. … They believe in a linear, plodding, purposeful and standard policy process.
— Anna Palmer (@apalmerdc) November 24, 2020
THEY BELIEVE IN A LINEAR , plodding, purposeful and standard policy process. Impulsive policymaking and widespread leaks from competing factions in the administration are probably over.
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) November 24, 2020
A return to norms!
EXPECT INTERVIEWS with JOE BIDEN to be a big deal — meaning, they won’t happen that often, which gives them an extra oomph. We’ll complain, and they won’t care. (His interview with @LesterHoltNBC HOLT on NBC will air tonight.)
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) November 24, 2020
Will you complain, though? Because thus far, the media have pretty much accepted Joe Biden’s scarcity as just the way things are.
We can’t imagine he’ll pop into the briefing room with regularity, or tweet his emotions, thoughts or decision-making process. SAPs — statements of administration policy — will, again, be a big deal, because it will be how you know what the admin is thinking on legislation
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) November 24, 2020
You probably won't get conflicting signals from the White House about whether the president will sign a bill. If he works on it, and is a party to the agreement, he probably won't veto it at the last minute.
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) November 24, 2020
THIS ADMINISTRATION will be of the Georgetown dinner variety. A return to briefing books and policymaking by political professionals who aren’t likely to try to burn down the White House over petty disagreements and jockeying to get in the good graces of the president.
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) November 24, 2020
IT IS UNLIKELY TO BE an administration that has aides rushing to get on TV to praise the president. In fact, you probably will rarely see many of these Cabinet officials.
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) November 24, 2020
Here’s the kicker, though:
To paint a picture for you: If the TRUMP White House was like downing a vat of Tabasco sauce over the past four years, the BIDEN White House will be like sipping unflavored almond milk.
— Anna Palmer (@apalmerdc) November 24, 2020
IN OTHER WORDS, if the TRUMP White House was like downing a vat of Tabasco sauce over the past four years, the BIDEN White House will be like sipping unflavored almond milk.
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) November 24, 2020
It’s a weird analogy, as Tabasco is objectively better than unflavored almond milk.
But even leaving that aside, it sure is interesting to see that journalists are already settling comfortably into the Obama-era press mentality of acceptance of, well, whatever.
Amazing. https://t.co/XRxBO8Rvil
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) November 24, 2020
And utterly predictable.
This is the most DC tweet, well, ever.
The fact that it's reported as such. The fact that it's characterized as meritorious. The fact that it's editorialized as "delightfully boring."
"Boring" is a being use as a codeword for "noncontroversial." It isn't. https://t.co/SR08PYsGB1
— Dan Isett (@DanIsett) November 24, 2020
It is as far as media firefighters are concerned.
Most of the media isn’t even going to try to watchdog Biden/Harris, huh? https://t.co/2kIdOXfq0U
— Elizabeth Nolan Brown (@ENBrown) November 24, 2020
Just keep seeing so many journalists on how nice & civil & predictable & smart & experienced the Biden admin will be. Bc that’s all that really matters to corporate pundits & the political establishment—the appearance of empathy & efficiency.
— Elizabeth Nolan Brown (@ENBrown) November 24, 2020
Happy days are here again!
Back to sleepy time, journos! https://t.co/THjkpoxdWF
— Shane Street (@SCStreet) November 24, 2020
And if your coverage for 4 years was like setting your hair on fire and running in circles, the next 4 will alternate between naps and fan girls at a Bieber concert https://t.co/18EZb21i6z
— Andy Lancaster (@andylancaster) November 24, 2020
To other voters, eight years of Obama was like guzzling a vat of Tabasco while being simultaneously told there’s no milk, only opioids, and being told to learn to code. It was a slow, simmering despair. But you do you. https://t.co/rEcIP8j9Ko
— Jay (@OneFineJay) November 24, 2020
The panic of the Trump presidency was media-driven. The managed decline of the Obama presidency was Obama-driven.
— Jay (@OneFineJay) November 24, 2020
“THIS ADMINISTRATION will return to the tradition of telling us the lies we *want* to hear.” https://t.co/9fsgl9Ai78
— The Partyman (@PartymanRandy) November 24, 2020
It’s gonna be great. You wait and see.
Get ready for four years of political analysis that amounts to "… but they did it so politely!"
— Noam Blum (@neontaster) November 24, 2020
Typically, you would wait until after someone takes office before you explain why you’re ignoring their scandals.
Just trying to stay a step ahead, I guess. https://t.co/vN0z7kuilL
— The Partyman (@PartymanRandy) November 24, 2020
They used to not say these things just outright and out loud.
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) November 24, 2020
It's fascinating that Cuomo's or Newsom's actions arent more of a scandal.. Then you read the Politico newsletter and realize that because these guys are (D) journalists treat them like unsweetened almond milk… cant make the side they vote for look bad
Just like firefighters
— Branson Taylor (@Btaylor74) November 24, 2020
These people really do think of themselves as journalists. https://t.co/TLRcWANY7W
— I got your #Unity right here (@jtLOL) November 24, 2020
To be fair, somebody has to.