# Summers or Geithner at the Treasury? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 7, 2008, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/summers-or-geithner-at-the-treasury/471656 "2008-11-07T16:37:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2008, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/summers-or-geithner-at-the-treasury/471656/1 "2008-11-07T16:37:42Z")
Hope it’s OK to start a separate thread on this particular appointment since it’s probably going to be the next big one and perhaps the most important early pick of Obama’s administration. So far the consensus appears to be that it’s a two man race and that Summers is the slight favorite. However there is a bit of [pushback](http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/243197.php)against him in the blogosphere coming from the likes of Josh Marshall. Summers is very bright but there is a question mark over his temparament and political skills as exemplified by his hapless tenure as President of Harvard. On the other side I have been very impressed with what I have read about Geithner especially in this [profile](http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=c85b418b-5237-4f54-891f-8385243162bd). One part I disagree with somewhat is where the article says: “On the one hand, the president-elect has a well-known dislike of “drama,” which could tilt the calculus toward Geithner. On the other hand, Obama has an equally strong preference for expertise, which could favor Summers.” Summers has the greater general expertise on economic issues but when it comes to the current crisis there is probably no one who understands the details as much as Geithner. And that is the top priority of the Obama administration at the moment. Geithner also has a fair amount of knowledge of East Asia which is obviously useful for a Treasury Secretary. Part of his degree is in East Asian studies and he has studied Japanese and Chinese. He has also lived in Asia and apparently graduated high school in Thailand. Overall I think Geithner is exactly the type of person that Obama is looking for: young, really intelligent, a good temparament and an international perspective. It will be interesting to see if he picks him over the more experienced Summers. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/summers-or-geithner-at-the-treasury/471656/2 "2008-11-15T01:55:11Z")
> [@Lantern](#): > > Geithner … apparently graduated high school in Thailand. Oh, wonderful. That can only mean he was one of these smart-assed little Western holy-terror brats at the International School of Bangkok. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/summers-or-geithner-at-the-treasury/471656/3 "2008-11-15T05:38:50Z")
And that is worse than a madrassa in Indonesia? (duck and run) ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/summers-or-geithner-at-the-treasury/471656/4 "2008-11-15T18:43:27Z")
I’m leaning toward Geithner for whatever reason - probably for his relative youth. I don’t think Obama should rely on too many Clinton appointees, and Summers’ past term in the treasury leaves him with some link to the current funancial crisis. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/summers-or-geithner-at-the-treasury/471656/5 "2008-11-15T18:57:10Z")
Geithner. I don’t like Summers’s baggage.