By Jwilkes from Eyes on Obama:
The first presidential decision that any presidential candidate makes is to select his running mate. And the first presidential decision that a president-elect makes is to select his cabinet. Here's a look at who the contenders will be for the top jobs in the State, Treasury, and Defense Departments if Obama is elected President.
The first presidential decision that any presidential candidate makes is to select his running mate. And the first presidential decision that a president-elect makes is to select his cabinet. Make no mistake, both Barack Obama and John McCain have a short list of individuals they’d like on their executive team. Unlike the vice presidential pick, however, the cabinet selection process is decidedly less political (though to be honest, not completely devoid of political consideration). After all, by the time a candidate gets around to selecting his cabinet, he’s already won the election.
Rather, cabinet selections are made primarily with expertise and effectiveness in mind. If an executive office is being run poorly, the accountability falls to the president. For that reason, the president will always look to surround himself with the people who are going to make him look best.
Over the next few days, we’ll take a look at the top contenders for each cabinet position. Today, we’ll examine three of the highest profile positions.
Position: Secretary of State
Contenders: Bill Richardson, Hillary Clinton
In the 2008 Democratic Primary, Bill Richardson was inarguably the most broadly experienced candidate in the field. He was a congressman, a governor, the Ambassador to the United Nations, and the Secretary of Energy. Especially with respect to the latter two positions, Richardson is no stranger to executive appointments. Having dealt with dignitaries from other nations as well as having been a hostage negotiator on behalf of US prisoners, Richardson is probably the most qualified individual with regard to foreign policy expertise. He’s well liked within the policy, and let’s face it, there is a small political implication: Richardson backed Obama, despite his longstanding history with the Clintons.
Clinton would be a surprise pick, but there is a serious issue in truly uniting the Democratic Party after the messy primary. McCain is gunning for disillusioned Hillary backers, and while Clinton’s DNC speech was nice, in the end it was just lip service. Obama may need Clinton’s help to put McCain’s bid on ice. And in all honesty, she wouldn’t be a bad choice. If her time as First Lady did give her one type of significant experience, it was that of a goodwill ambassador.
Position: Secretary of the Treasury
Contenders: Jon Corzine, Joseph Stiglitz
Politics has been kind to Goldman Sachs, one of the largest investment banking organizations in the world. Its CEOs have expert inside knowledge of the market and its mechanisms. Just last year, President Bush tapped CEO Hank Paulson to lead up the Treasury Department in his administration. But who was CEO before Paulson? New Jersey Governor (and former Senator) Jon Corzine. Corzine’s rise through the ranks of Goldman Sachs to the lead chair at the table is probably qualification enough. But he’s was a leader on economic issues on the Senate floor and has become an authority in the world of politics.
The other top dog would be Joseph Stiglitz. The Nobel Prize winning economist is the modern authority on Keynesian Theory, which forms a cornerstone of the Democratic Party’s platform with regard to the economy. Stiglitz served as the chief economic advisor to Bill Clinton during an administration that turned a record budget deficit into a surprising surplus, and presided over one of the fastest and furthest expanding economies since the years following World War II. He also served as the Chief Economist at the World Bank, one of the most important positions in the field of economics. Plus, he’s fiercely critical of the Bush Administration and its economic and monetary policies. It would be hard to find an individual with Stiglitz’s level of expertise.
Position: Secretary of Defense
Contenders: Wesley Clark, Hugh Shelton, Tony McPeak, Bob Kerrey
In choosing a Secretary of Defense, Democrats have a pretty deep pool of candidates to choose from.
Start with Wesley Clark, the retired four star US Army General who served as the NATO Supreme Allied Commander during the Balkan Conflict. Clark is easily one of the most decorated military men alive today. In recent years, he’s gained nationwide attention by bringing attention to veterans affairs, as well as recruiting servicemen and women to run for office as Democrats. But most importantly, Clark is respected internationally as a peacemaker, with knighthoods and medals of valor from 21 foreign nations. Because as important as it is to have a leader in the Pentagon who can win wars, its equally important to have a diplomat who can help to prevent them before a shot is fired. However, there are two strikes against him. One, he backed Clinton- and not Obama- during the primary. And two, he drew some negative attention earlier this year when he questioned whether John McCain’s time as a POW in Vietnam constituted viable experience that might be of use in the White House.
Retired General Hugh Shelton was the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under Bill Clinton. There was some speculation that Shelton, a decorated military man and a staunch Democrat, would challenge Elizabeth Dole for her North Carolina Senate seat. Shelton has extensive experience with the bureaucracy of the military, and for that reason would be a great pick.
Tony McPeak was the Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. McPeak has spent most of his life as a Republican, having chaired the 1996 campaign of Bob Dole in Oregon. But this time around, he’s one of Obama’s most vocal military supporters, and one of his national co-chairs.
Finally, Bob Kerrey was a Senator from Nebraska for more than a decade, and a governor for four years from that. Kerrey, a former Navy SEAL and Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient, was an influential member of the Senate Armed Services Committee during his tenure. He also served on the 9/11 Commission, and has supported Barack Obama from early on in the campaign.
Check back tomorrow for the next installment...
If you like EyesOnObama post, click here to read more of all our writers like The Bard’s Last Article: It's Obvious That Sarah Palin Is Not Ready
...
Copyright Eyesonobama.com