Countdown: Three Days (Obama in Baltimore but no Mayor Dixon)

As I watched the speech of President-elect Barack Obama, live from War Memorial Plaza in Baltimore, one person was curiously missing from the crowd: embattled Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon. Two days ago, I wrote the following excerpt:

“My hope is that Obama will politely inform Mayor Dixon that it would be better of she did not attend the event. Unfortunately, in political reality, he can not appear in Baltimore without her… so ‘Change’ will take a back seat to political expediency once again.”

It appears that common sense won out over party politics. The absence of Dixon speaks volumes to Obama’s decision making process. I know that I will disagree with his incoming administration on foreign and domestic policy issues, including how best to recover the constitutional balance between the Executive and Legislative Branches, however, this decision reassures me that he will make good practical choices that are politically wise by keeping the press focused on his message rather than becoming fixated on the scandal of the moment. Well done!