Craig Crawford's Trail Mix

Barack Obama seems to possess the droll wit of a Franklin Roosevelt, who once broke the tension of attacks on his administration by referring to his famous dog, a Scottish terrier named Fala.

"I do not mind the attacks on me," Roosevelt told an audience. "My family does not mind the attacks. ... But Fala does mind."

It was the subject of a White House dog that lightened the mood at Obama's first press conference following his election in November of 2008. Obama mocked the same semi-serious tone that Roosevelt had adopted in referring to Fala.

Asked about the dog he had promised to get for his young daughters when moving into the White House, Obama ponderously -- but humorously -- answered in the same grave manner with which he had handled weighty questions about the troubled economy.

"With respect to the dog, this is a major issue," Obama said. "I think it's generated more interest on our Web site than just about anything. We have -- we have two criteria that have to be reconciled. One is that Malia is allergic, so it has to be hypoallergenic. There are a number of breeds that are hypoallergenic. On the other hand, our preference would be to get a shelter dog, but, obviously, a lot of shelter dogs are mutts like me. So -- so whether we're going to be able to balance those two things I think is a pressing issue on the Obama household."

Clearly not schooled in the Reaganesque story-telling technique or particular facile with a Kennedy-like quick comeback, Obama seems to enjoy a more quaint sense of humor that spotlights the irony of silly questions or bizarre moments. Whatever works for you, Mr. President, get a laugh when you can. They are hard to come by in this job.

Nations throughout history perish or flourish based upon how well they progress into a new age. America mastered the industrial age in the early 20th Century and, thanks to John F. Kennedy's vision for the future of science in calling for a trip to the Moon, we mastered the age of computers.

This is what our best presidents do. They prod us forward. They nourish our best instincts. They do not just lead our government. They lead us, make us better and, as a result, make us a stronger country.

At the dawn of Barack Obama's presidency, this unique and thoughtful man shows the promise to be one of our best. As with Kennedy, the world looked at him and saw a new America, one that looks and sounds more like the rest of the world.

Americans can look at this new president and also see themselves in a different way. It is not just that he is our first African-American in the White House. Or that he grew up in an unusual mix of places, from Kansas to Indonesia.

Obama has the chance to bring about a new spirit for the country, as Kennedy did. His campaign attracted supporters who had never before been active in politics. They learned that being an American is about taking part, that the genius of our nation and the gift of our best presidents is the preservation of a simple ideal: We run our own country.

Craig on NBC "Today Show"
Saturday (1/3) 7:00 AM EST
(times vary, check listings)

Finally we see Joe Biden kick in. Uncharacteristically quiet and behind the scenes during much of the transition, the Vice President-Elect is beginning to reveal the prominent role that he is likely to play in the new administration.

For starters, Biden is playing the tough cop against adding congressional pork to the economic stimulus package:

"I know it's the Christmas season. But President-Elect Obama and I are absolutely determined that this economic recovery package will not become a Christmas tree."

How funny that the woman Caroline Kennedy sabotaged in the 2008 nomination campaign, Hillary Clinton, is now the woman she emulates in her quest for the Senate. Kennedy has no elective experience, as Clinton did not, and now embarks upon a listening tour and other tactics borrowed from her presumed predecessor's play book.

Questions About Kennedy Recall Clinton's First Race

What is it with Barack Obama and preachers? First, he sits in Jeremiah Wright's congregation for two decades and finds himself defending, then distancing himself from what amounts to hate speech.

Now he's picked a bigot to give his invocation at the inauguration. Rick Warren's anti-gay invectives stirred Rep. Barney Frank, a leading gay member of Congress, to denounce Obama's plans for the preacher to bless his inaugural.

Obama needs to find a preacher who offends no one. Surely someone else will do.

For those who might be missing me in our comments section or on television (and for those who say 'good riddance'), a word of explanation. I am in the final days of writing a book with Helen Thomas and won't be getting much of a holiday this season. 

Our working title is "Listen Up Mr. President: Everything You Always Wanted Your President to Know and Do." (Publisher: Scribner, an imprint of Simon and Schuster).

From the publisher: "Brilliantly culling advice and cautionary examples from recent and historical Presidents. Helen Thomas and Craig Crawford let former occupiers of the White House provide the best lesson plan for running the country -- for this and future national leaders."

Happy Holidays to Trailmixers -- don't miss their latest collective work in progress: A Trailmix Solstice Carol

Winter Solstice over Ames, Iowa

CQ Politics looks at how past lame duck presidents have handled -- or mishandled -- international and domestic crises.
(Reported by Adriel Bettelheim, Produced by Andrew Satter)

Short on Southerners and with fewer Republicans than first advertised, Barack Obama's Cabinet is mostly picked and likely to give him a reasonably good start at governing from the center. If anything, liberals have reason to worry that his choices suggest less change than the rhetoric of his campaign had indicated. Or perhaps now that he has assembled a fairly conventional roster, his intention is to use them as protection for governing from the left. Time will tell.