I can't believe that Rahm Emanuel is so....

[Obamarama]

short!

I just saw this pic of him next to other transition team members:http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x7835289

He is dwarfed by Obama. I guess what he lacks in stature (not that small statured people are lacking in anything, but you have to admit, he is physically small) he makes up for in ferocity. Unlike so many of the naysayers here, I think he's an excellent choice. About time we had some leadership from someone who has some balls (and yes, I think ovaries would be just fine, too, if Emanuel was a female).

[dennis4868]

1. he's jewish...

he can't be that tall...hahaha....

[Obamarama]

4. LOL...I'm Jewish too, but I'm 6'5"!

Must be a recessive gene?

[dennis4868]

13. I'm Jewish...

and I don't meet to many 6'5 jewish people...you are a giant! :-)

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

14. Must be recessive! My sons and their dad are all under 5'8. My older son like Emanuel

although among the smallest in his classes was the feistiest. He's 21 now, and still loves to scrimmage with his 6' and up best friends.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

16. Just remembered! Jeff Goldblum is 6'4"!

[AlCzervik]

18. my sister saw him in Manhattan and she said he looks even taller in person

and he was really nice to my 2 nieces.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

20. I get such a kick out of him! It's nice to know he's nice! That is one of the things I miss

about working in Manhattan. I used to see many celebrities, and had some neat experiences with some of them. My favorite was Dustin Hoffman and John Belushi.

[WCGreen]

41. Are you sure your not a Danite...

Samson and all...

[FLAprogressive]

17. actor Brad Garrett is Jewish and he's 6'8".......n/t

[Richard D]

27. I'm Jewish

6'2". My little brother is 6'5". I have a cousin who is 6'6".

None of us can shoot hoops or dance though.

[AlCzervik]

2. Volker is a giant so don't compare them.

[LisaL]

3. Have it ever occurred to you that Obama is standing on the podium?

[here_is_to_hope]

6. Ahem...thats "President Obama"....

Sorry, just like to type it...:P

[ecstatic]

24. Come November 4th they will have to call him

the 44TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!!!

Loved that line by Biden!

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

5. But next to Robert Reich he's Karim Abdul Jabbar.

:evilgrin:

[tridim]

7. Every time I see him I think of Robert Downey Jr.

He looks just like him. :)

[Kahuna]

12. Yup... He also reminds me a bit of Tony Curtis.. (probably before your time). nt

[Wetzelbill]

8. I'm stuck in height between Rahm and Robert Reich

:)

Small people can be intense like that, I am. You sort of have to learn not to take any shit because people will walk all over you if you're short.

[NanceGreggs]

19. Exactly why I've always found short men attractive ...

I always thought Rahm was sexy - I didn't know he was also short until I saw him with the team the other day. NOW I think he's really hot - and, as you know, I'm just crazy for Robert Reich!

:hi:

[Wetzelbill]

22. short men who have accomplishments are typically not

sensitive about their height either. Like McCain is 5'9 and really conscious of it. That's not even short! I'm 5'1 and not insecure about it or anything, but McCain was extremely insecure about his height. It was bizarre to me to see that.

Also, what you might find interesting is for a short man to ask out a woman say, 5-6 inches taller, it takes a supreme amount of confidence. And women like confidence, of course. :) I'm about 50-50 on that. I can be quite shy sometimes but also very confident.

Robert Reich and Rahm are both good competent people. I think Rahm was a great choice, I disagree with him on things but he's perfect for COS, and I hope Obama finds a place for Reich too. I'm confident Obama will put together a top-notch staff.

[NanceGreggs]

25. So true.

I'm only 5' tall myself, but I was nutz for the short guys back in high school. They were the ones who quickly developed a sharp wit and a scathing sense of humour - usually as a means of being 'noticed' by the girls - which I find more attractive than any physical attribute.

Let's hear it for short, witty and accomplished men! :applause:

[Wetzelbill]

29. !!!!!

I love short women! Well I love all types of women, I am a guy after all, but I have a special affinity for women around my height. I always find we instantly have a bond. No matter where I have lived in my life, I always seem to run into a short girl/woman who was special to me. I'm not sure why, but it seems the short women I meet are always interested in the same things I am too, so we immediately share that. Like writing for example. And also, short women give as good as they get, meaning that I kind of have a smartass sense of humor and I like to tease people to make friends, and some people don't know how to take it, or even if they think it's funny, they don't really have a comeback to it. Short women zing back, lol. I like that. So here is to short, witty accomplished women too!

[NanceGreggs]

31. I know exactly what you mean ...

... and if this mutual admiration society goes any further, we're going to have to get a room!

:rofl:

[Wetzelbill]

33. lol

I would never get a DUzy again, lol. I just can't risk that. :)

[NanceGreggs]

34. Well ...

... I see where your priorities lie.

:rofl:

[Wetzelbill]

43. I'm superficial

It's all about the fame and glory for me. Plus you get all those endorsement deals as a DUzy winner. :)

[NanceGreggs]

48. Yeah, well, that's one of the problems with short men ...

... they go all Napoleon on you in the end, crown themselves Emperor of the DUzies, and dump for you some Austrian archduchess.

[Wetzelbill]

49. that is a flaw in the system

Yes. :)

[CRF450]

36. Being short has its disadvantages when you still look like a 16 year old like me...

Which is a problem I frequently run into being a 21 year old standing at 5'3". Younger teenage girls will look at me alot, but the older ones at 18 or around my age will hardly give me the time of day, but I'm patient, so I know one day, the right one for me will turn up soon.

[Wetzelbill]

47. I was the same way

I'm a little shorter than you are, and I'm 33 now. You're bound to always look younger than you are, I still do, but it gets better when you get older. Young women in their teens and early 20s, just like all of us, aren't totally mature yet. In a few years they'll care less about you looking young and care more about you. Just stay confident and never convince yourself that you aren't good enough for what you want. Intellect, talent, humor and confidence goes a long way. And nice guys don't finish last either, they do quite well. :)

[goforit]

9. Hope he doen't turn into a little Napoleon.

[Kahuna]

10. He sure is cute though...

:loveya:

[murray hill farm]

15. He IS cute.....

But, it is those amazing eyes!

[amber_86]

35. Yes his eyes and his smile LOL

[Historic NY]

11. Pit-bulls come in short packages..I hope he gets Robert Reich back

on board too he is one of his economic advisers now. Very smart man and could be useful in helping US to get back on a strong economic footing.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Reich

[JohnyCanuck]

21. Short or not, he is an absolutely shitty choice for CoS, (IMHO)

Is Obama Screwing His Base with Rahm Emanuel Selection?

By Stephen Zunes, AlterNet.

l had really wanted to celebrate Barack Obama's remarkable victory for a day or so before becoming cynical again. I really did.

And yet, less than 24 hours after the first polls closed, the president-elect chose as his chief of staff -- perhaps the most powerful single position in any administration -- Rahm Emanuel, one of the most conservative Democratic members of Congress.

The chief of staff essentially acts as the president's gatekeeper, determining with whom he has access for advice and analysis. Obama is known as a good listener who has been open to hearing from and considering the perspectives of those on the Left as well as those with a more centrist to conservative perspective. How much access he will actually have as president to more progressive voices, however, is now seriously in question.

Illinois Congressman Rahm Emanuel is a member of the so-called New Democrat Coalition (NDC), of group of center-right pro-business Congressional Democrats affiliated with the Democratic Leadership Conference, which is dedicated to moving the Democratic Party away from its more liberal and progressive base. Numbering only 58 members out of 236 Democrats in the current House of Representatives, the NDC has worked closely with its Republican colleagues in pushing through and passing such legislation as those providing President Bush with "fast-track" trade authority in order to bypass efforts by labor, environmentalists and other public interest groups to promote fairer trade policy.

SNIP

As head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee since 2004, Emanuel has promoted pro-war and pro-business center-right candidates against anti-war and pro-labor candidates in the primaries, pouring millions of dollars of donations from Democrats across the country into the campaigns of his favored conservative minions to defeat more progressive challengers.

http://www.alternet.org/election08/106189/is_obama_screwing_his_base_with_rahm_emanuel_selection/

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

23. I know exactly from where you're coming from and agree but I am being guardedly optimistic that his

tenacity will be able to protect Obama from the attacks on the right, allowing Obama to get his (Obama's) agenda through.

[Wetzelbill]

30. I think that's why he's actually a good choice

Obama isn't going to be dominated by Rahm, nor will his agenda be ruled by him either. Obama thoughtfully considers the options and makes his decisions. Rahm's role will be as a manager and he'll be excellent at that. Plus he'll fight back for and be fiercely loyal to Obama. Rahm will no more take hold of Obama's agenda than Andy Card or Josh Bolten did with Bush.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

38. And this is exactly why I said I'm guardedly optimistic!

Guardedly in the sense that I still know Rahm's history and none too pleased with it, but I think that same drive, channeled in the proper direction, can make him the greatest COS in American history.

[Wetzelbill]

45. right I agree with that almost exactly

I'm wary of him and some of his positions etc, but somehow it seems like it would work out. Obama has a knack for making brilliant choices like that, I think. Like getting Axelrod and Plouffe to run his campaign and then picking Biden. I think he knows what he needs around him and what type of person will complement him the best in each position.

[pansypoo53219]

26. go with nads.

both sexes have gonads.

[Greyhound]

28. He suffers from SMS.

Short man syndrome. Very difficult to be around since their internal feelings of inadequacy cause them to be overly aggressive and obnoxious, constantly seeking confrontation and instigating conflict wherever they go.

[Wetzelbill]

32. that's a misnomer

It's almost like how some men are threatened by a strong woman, if a tall guy acted like that people don't automatically say it's because of his height. Usually short men are categorized like that because they don't roll over. You almost have to be aggressive otherwise people will take advantage of you if you're short. Sid Blumenthal and other Clintonites are aggressive like Rahm, but nobody attributes it to height. He's just tough-minded and because people don't like an aggressive short guy they say it's SMS. That's different, he's never shown any bit of insecurity in that regard. Not like McCain does about his height and McCain is much taller than Rahm. SMS is more of an abusive thing, Rahm isn't abusive, he doesn't use his position as a congressman to dominate others because he now can make up for his lack of height. He's agressive and confrontational in an aggressive and confrontational business. He doesn't let people run over him, so that means he has SMS? Yeah right. That's like saying Hillary acts the way she does because she's insecure about being a woman.

[Greyhound]

39. I'm only 6'1" and every time some asshole tries to pick a fight with me

it's some little sawed-off that spends is life in a gym, and they always try to make it physical. My really tall friends get it worse than I do.

But whatever justification lets you feel good...:shrug:

[Wetzelbill]

42. you sound pretty bitter

I don't have to have a justification to feel good, I'm not the one making something up or projecting something about a person based on something physical about them. Do you have proof that Rahm Emanuel is insecure about his height? Or that he picks fights for no reason with people because of it? The only thing I've ever seen is he's a typical Clintonite, he fights back and fights hard. That doesn't mean it's because of his height.

[Greyhound]

44. Not at all, I couldn't care less. It's just what I've seen my entire life.

On the rare occasion when they've managed to push it too far, they've regretted it.

[Wetzelbill]

46. well I can see that

I know short people can be like that, sometimes i can be a bit of a jerk, but back on the shire I find most of us are pretty alright. I just don't think you can presume that he's automatically like that because of his height. He's not an abusive person as far as I can tell, he is aggressive though.

[Marr]

50. You know, as a shorter man (5'6", I think I understand what women mean when

they complain about the word "bitch". If a man is assertive and confident, he's a man. If a woman is assertive and confident, she's a bitch.

It's the same thing with this "short man's syndrome" crap. If a short man is assertive, why-- he must have a complex. It's too bad you can't trade bodies with people. I think you'd be surprised at the way short men are treated. You learn pretty fast that if you don't stand up for yourself, people will walk right over you.

[Greyhound]

53. I understand and have seen that side many times as well.

I've had lots of short friends too and seen exactly what you're talking about, but with Rahm we're not talking about being assertive, we're talking about open aggression and escalating confrontation.

He is an asshole, plain and simple.

[hunter78]

37. Hey, good perfume come in short bottles

It's what they say.

[Bigmack]

40. What's the difference between...

Rahm Emanuel and a pit bull?

A sharp intellect.

Sic 'em, Rahm.

I want to see McCain/Palin buttons in his stools.

[dkofos]

51. That's what they say about Putin too.

[DireStrike]

52. Oh, I think he's an excellent choice too.

Good move by the DLC crowd. Their man will do all in his power make sure Obama only hears the sides of every story favorable to the rich. Whether he sincerely believes in this "chasing the center", race-to-the-bottom philosophy, or he only uses it as a front, it still works out in their favor.

Even while (arguably) not in power, they retain large amounts of power. Well played; very good job.