Transition: Bumpy or exceptional?

The New York Times chronicles what it sees as bumpier ride for the Obama transition. “[A] transition that has moved forward with precision and decisiveness has also begun encountering signs of trouble that could foreshadow the challenges awaiting him once he moves into the White House next week.” But as with the latest NBC/WSJ poll, a brand-new USA Today/Gallup poll shows that the public overwhelmingly approves of the Obama transition so far. “Obama won the election with 53% of the vote. Now, 83% approve of the way he's handling the transition, and 45% say his Cabinet-level appointments, which have included former Democratic rivals and a few Republicans, have been outstanding or above average. Just 10% call them below average or poor. He has moderated the concerns of some Republicans and conservatives that he is "too liberal." When the presidential campaign began in earnest on Labor Day, 45% said he was ‘too liberal’; now 34% do.” The poll also finds “stratospheric expectations for the ... (link)