The legacy of Rahm Emmanuel will not be one of partisanship, but productivity.  It’s no secret the Chief of Staff is brash, over-the-top, and antagonistic, but that is precisely what makes him good at what he does. He lost his middle finger in an accident with a meat slicer while working at an Arby’s as a teenager, an action that President Obama joked, “rendered him practically mute.” Howard Baker once called his old position of Chief of Staff “the worst job in the world,” and Rahm’s barbs and take-no-prisoners attitude say that if he’s got the job from hell, he’s going to make your life just as bad if you stand in his way.  It seems as if “Rahmbo” thinks there’s no such thing as bad publicity, but it’s hard to imagine an effective Chief of Staff being any other way.  More weak-willed men that held the office in administrations past, like Thomas “Mack the Nice” McLarty and Sam Skinner were unable to stand up to the rough-and-tumble world of Washington and were quickly rendered ineffective.  Emanuel, conversely, thrives under pressure and adversity. His experience as a successful congressman and coalition builder (he is widely credited with orchestrating the Democrats’ midterm takeover of Congress in 2006) means he has both the know-how and virulent enthusiasm to push his party’s agenda to fruition.

To this end, Rahm is good at what he does because he recognizes the interplay between idealism and pragmatism. Working for a president that campaigned based on big ideas, Rahm is perfectly suited for and committed to driving home the small ideas.  He recognizes many Americans want to be part of a movement for sweeping issues like green energy and health care, but right now they’re most concerned about keeping a job in tough economic times.  He knows fundraising can be messy and time-consuming, but as chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in 2006, he used tactics like hanging up the phone on donors committed to giving “only” $5000 to help his party gain 30 seats in the House. His larger-than-life personality contributes to his mythology and works to his benefit. As a member of President Obama’s inner circle, his first responsibility is loyalty to his boss, not kindness to his enemies.  This makes legislative delays seem like roadblocks, not niceties and an essential part of the political process. Strategist Paul Begala likens Rahm’s style to “a cross between a hemorrhoid and a toothache,” and this unapologetic tenacity has paid dividends in the form of convincing hesitant senators to pass the stimulus package and garnering $7.5 billion in aid for Pakistan. You don’t have to call him nice, but don’t expect him to care. He’ll be too busy planning a counterattack.

Brooke is a senior studying economics and minoring in family life.