President-elect Barack Obama

The First Press Conference

Just some random reactions.

• Yet another chills moment this week when the press stood up as the president-elect entered the room.

• Paul Volcker is a gigantic human being. The president-elect isn't short, but next to Volcker, he looked small.

• How great is it that the words "middle class" were all over the president-elect's remarks? We've come a long way from an administration dedicated to "the have mores."

• How great was it to not hear smirky snark, but rather good-natured humor, coming from our chief executive? By smirky snark I mean, "I earned capital in this campaign, and I intend to crap on your face. Eh-eh-eh!"

• This isn't going to be 1993. The Obama administration clearly plans to move, move, move. The domestic priorities: the middle class, stimulus package, job creation, small business, health care, auto industry (keep 'em clean, sir!) and energy.

• "A mutt. Like me." And America. We're a mutt nation.

ADDING... From Lee Stranahan in the comments:

The press was nervous because Obama had his whole posse on stage with him and you do NOT want to have Robert Reich get all double maverick on your ass.

And apropos of nothing...

• Richard Schiff, who played my favorite character Toby Ziegler on The West Wing, misspelled "Barlet" in his otherwise excellent Huffington Post essay today. (Pssst, Richard... Bartlet has one "t", not two. And yes, I'm a geek!)