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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsPraise for Obama's new ambassador to the UK from Glenn Greenwald's paper
Some people were acting as if Barzun's appointment was some kind of massive scandal because he raised money for Obama. Turns out he's a highly qualified nominee with quite a bit of heft. Whoddathunkit?
Roll the tape:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jul/10/matthew-barzun-us-ambassador-britain-obama
During the four years I spent at the state department serving secretary of state Hilary Clinton, I personally helped to train more than 150 of America's ambassadors. Some were brilliant. Some less so. Seeing him among his peers, I got a good view of Barzun as ambassador-in-training, as a political actor in Washington, and then during his successful posting as ambassador to Sweden.
Like most politically appointed ambassadors, Barzun raised election funds for the president, but the tag "fundraiser" does not describe him well. He is certainly well-connected among political and economic elites. But more than that, he is a trusted strategic adviser and a highly accomplished professional. He started his career in Silicon Valley during the heyday of the dotcom boom of the 1990s. That launched his career as an entrepreneur.
So, how does this portend for the US/UK relationship:
It is with the nomination of Barzun, however, that the Obama administration has signalled most clearly that the UK-US relationship remains central to the Obama administration's strategic vision in the president's second term.
Another fake-ass scandal from the usual suspects.
Enrique
(27,461 posts)whodathunk!
geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)actual information and insight.
But, you can stick with the DU ignoramuses complaining about the pick if you want. At least they're not accomplished enough to have an informed opinion, right?
Bluenorthwest
(45,319 posts)don't know what exactly he has done in the past still, and this piece is not by a Guardian editor, it is a guest opinion from an American political professional direct from his own WH job. Promoting this as being what the Guardian or even a Brit has to say is not exactly honest. Barzun might be great, this sheds no actual light on his excellence or on how he is seen by the Brits.
I hope he is great, I love the UK and for anyone getting this appointment, living up to the surroundings and history of the post is no small thing no matter who you are.
geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)with his praise?
The Guardian published a story implying that Barzun was an unqualified schlub who bought his position.
Bluenorthwest
(45,319 posts)praise for Barzun 'from' the Guardian is not what I call fully honest. Ross is American, an Obama administration figure. I understand this was in the Guardian, but it is not 'from' them, this praise is from an American Obama ally in the Guardian.
To be blunt, the headline was a cheat, and I had hoped to actually be reading that the Guardian had praise for Barzun. That was not the case. As it turned out.
Enrique
(27,461 posts)is that an association with Glenn Greenwald is a boost to anyone's credibility.
I also don't know much about Barzun, and I think the appearance of awarding ambassadorships as payoffs for something or other is not great, but it has little consequence imho.
Cha
(297,812 posts)wrong again.
BeyondGeography
(39,386 posts)Author of From Dawn to Decadence. Re. modern times:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2001/mar/03/history.art
Died about a month shy of his 105th birthday.
burnodo
(2,017 posts)Who knew!
Cha
(297,812 posts)burnodo
(2,017 posts)?
Cha
(297,812 posts)doesn't choose people who would suck just because they donated a lot of money to his campaign.
Interesting.. thank you for the article, geek
"The 42-year-old Barzun carries the influence of that time in his leadership style and forward-leaning approach to diplomacy. He does not accept problems as fixed and unalterable. He has the Silicon Valley ethos of testing assumptions and formulating new approaches to addressing longstanding challenges.
Matthew Barzun is also an intellectual. Anyone who spends real time with him will note the strong influence of his grandfather, Jacques Barzun, who died last year at the age of 104 after a career as one of America's most distinguished historians, writing more than 40 volumes of wide-ranging cultural history. A framed Time Magazine cover of Jacques Barzun hung on the wall of his ambassadorial office in Stockholm alongside the magna cum laude degree from Harvard that preceded the younger Barzun's move to internet entrepreneurship
With the nomination of Matthew Barzun, the United Kingdom does not just get a US ambassador, it gets an Obama ambassador. In the vernacular of Barzun's Kentucky, it gets a big dog that can hunt in the tall grass."
Good to know!
GeorgeGist
(25,324 posts)geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)on the subject. Sorry your little pout parade got rained on by facts.