Yes, he will

by Soren Billing on Friday, 24 April 2009

Morris Reid, veteran Democratic strategist, leading Washington DC lobbyist and talking head on financial news network CNBC, explains why people in the Middle East will soon notice that there is a new man in the White House.

Conservative us news network Fox News tried to fire up the American right this month by sponsoring - or as they would have it, "reporting" - on around 800 protests around the country against President Obama's tax policies. Dubbed "tea party protests", the organisers wanted to invoke the Boston Tea Party of 1773, when colonists lobbied against the taxes imposed on tea and other goods. Though estimates vary, it is safe to say that the turnout fell short of what the cable news network had hoped.

In spite of the unprecedented challenges facing the economy, or perhaps because of it, Americans still seem to like their president. Obama's approval rating averaged 63 percent in the first quarter of his tenure, outstripping his four immediate predecessors. But will the Obama effect spread to these shores?

I think Dubai is coming of age. They did a great job on the sizzle, now it’s about the steak, and how you sustain this. The market is not dead.

Morris Reid, former advisor to the Clinton administration and political commentator on financial news channel CNBC, believes so. The new president will change not just US foreign policy in the Middle East, but also how Americans think of the region, he says.

"People don't realise how important a president is in setting the tone for a nation, particularly in America," he says of the Bush administration years. "We didn't respect different opinions, and we frankly didn't respect and engage with people who may have had a different opinion."

Reid is the managing director of Westin Rinehart, one of the major lobbying firms in Washington DC, where he has worked with the leaders of hundreds of Fortune 500 companies. A former staff aide to the late US commerce secretary Ron Brown and housing secretary Andrew Cuomo, he describes himself as a "business-friendly Democrat".

He is in Dubai to give some of the businessmen who are close to Obama, including his campaign finance manager and his lawyer, an "informal education" in the business opportunities available in the region.

Much like his former boss Ron Brown, Reid is a believer in ‘commercial diplomacy', a tactic aimed at simultaneously furthering both trade and political relations - and a policy that he is eager to see implemented in talks between the US and the Middle East.

"When people do business together and make money together, they become friends and get to know each other's cultures better," Reid points out.

Still, many would argue that his former boss' wife, US secretary of state Hillary Clinton, is set to have a more immediate influence on the region than a slow-burn trade policy. Already, she has made her presence felt more than her predecessor, Condoleeza Rice.

"Rice is a brilliant, smart woman but I don't think people would regard her as an active and totally engaged person," says Reid. "Genius no doubt, but [with Hillary Clinton] I think you will see a much more hands on approach; someone who will roll up her sleeves and get much more involved."

It takes Reid approximately one tenth of a second to segue into what must have been Clinton's main talking point on the American news networks during last year's presidential campaign in the US.

"With someone who has garnered 19 million votes in an election, when that plane touches down in a market you know you're dealing with a real powerbroker and someone that is a peer to the president," he claims.

"I think it's going to be terrific for women in this region as well," he continues.

"I happen to be one of those people who believes that the women of the GCC will have a lot to do with transforming the image of these nations, and a person like Hillary Clinton can go a long way in participating in those empowerment initiatives."

The destination of Clinton's first overseas trip was a clear indication to political observers of America's shifting priorities. Rather than visit Europe or the Middle East, Clinton plumped for China, reflecting the Asian state's increasingly key role on the world stage.

Reid believes the biggest difference in the current administration's foreign policy will be its focus on India, as the government's focus shifts away from Iraq - where US troops are preparing to handover to national forces - and towards Afghanistan and Pakistan. But the Middle East must remain a focus.

"We can't divorce ourselves from engagement and participation in this region," Reid clarifies. "That's not just because of Iraq and Iran, but because in the past when we have disengaged from a country completely and isolated them and demonised them, it has caused nothing but trouble and heartache and pain for America."

The first sign of change is the Obama administration talking directly to Syria and sending envoys to Damascus.

"It means that we can agree to disagree without being disagreeable," Reid says.

"There are fundamental things that we won't agree with certain countries on, but that doesn't mean that they can't play a helpful and constructive role in the stabilisation of this region," Reid continues.

"Frankly, those countries know a lot more about this region than we do in a lot of ways and we should find a way to engage them."

Afghanistan, one of the Obama administration‘s biggest headaches, is a case in point, the veteran strategist warns.

"I don't think we know what our agenda should be there and the Iraq situation hasn't been a great case study. There is a great possibility that Afghanistan could be turned into a situation similar to Iraq."

Reid is surprisingly reticent, however, when it comes to the Palestine conflict. He is, after all, an American spin doctor.

When pushed, he says: "Look, America is at some point going to have to force the hand with Israel. We have more leverage over the Israelis than we do over the Palestinians because we give them so much money."

An outspoken supporter of US energy independence, he is much happier to talk about what president Obama is going to do on renewable energy.

"Americans are not that great long-term thinkers and we don't make investments," he says.

"Obama's going to bite the bullet and make the investment. We should be a leader by far in these things - it's embarrassing that Europe is further ahead than us on wind energy.

"But in my opinion, the Gulf region has really missed the boat on this as well. Just because you are number one or number two in a sector doesn't mean you should not explore other sectors because oil and gas will not last forever."

Still, Reid remains bullish on the Gulf's economies, including Dubai, despite a recent slew of criticism from the international financial press.

"I think Dubai is coming of age," he says. "They did a great job on the sizzle, now it's about the steak, and how you sustain this. The market is not dead."

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Morris Reid

Morris Reid has worked with high profile individuals, government officials and corporate executives in the successful resolution of complex and high level political and corporate issues for almost 15 years.

As the managing director of Westin Rinehart, he has consulted and provided counsel to the leaders of hundreds of Fortune 500 companies and in his role as a Clinton administration senior staff aide to the late commerce secretary Ronald Brown and housing secretary Andrew Cuomo.

Reid was also director of vice president Al Gore's office at the 1996 Democratic Convention and deputy director of vice presidential pperation for Clinton/Gore ‘96.

He specialises in fostering business development programmes and launching partnerships that meld brand building, coalition advocacy and public affairs and issues management.

Reid is frequently used as an expert political and business marketing commentator on leading television news networks including CNBC and MSNBC.

His views also appear in the world's leading newspapers and magazines including the New York Times, USA Today, Details and Forbes magazines.

He is also the publisher and editor-in-chief of BattleGround, a weekly online newsletter that provides grass roots analysis and perspective on national political trends and issues.

An Ohio native, Reid is a graduate of Akron University and, prior to establishing the Westin Rinehart Group, he served as a principal at Dewey Square Group, a consulting firm that works for both political and corporate clients as lobbyists and campaign strategists.

He serves on the boards of The Washington Ballet, VH1 Save the Music Foundation and New York University's Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.

Source: CNBC