Now that the veepstakes is officially over for our side, we all need something just as asinine and interesting to speculate about. And what else fits that description aside from the cabinet? Yes, the cabinet! A few well known guys, and then some people you've never heard of!
Exciting, right? I thought so. I mean, we all remember Secretary of State Madeline Albright, right? How about Transportation Secretary Federico Peña?
So fell free to speculate away! There's no real penalty for going over board, because hell, it's not like we'll remember the names of half of these people anyway, right? :)
Secretary of State : Bill Richardson (Since Biden has gotten the VP nod, the only other person I could see in this position is Richardson, who in some respects is overqualified. Richardson would be a great Secretary of State - he's well respected in the international community and with the United Nations, a lot like Joe Biden, only more boring.)
Treasury : Jeffery Sachs? Michael Bloomberg? I don't really have any ideas here, just throwing some names out. Anyone?
Defense : Chuck Hagel or Dick Lugar (If Obama wants to keep up the bipartisanship meme, which he's indicated that he does), Wes Clark (provided he can get an exemption from Congress to take the job. If not, just wait until 2010 when he actually can and then take the job.)
Attorney General : John Edwards is my top pick, but with the scandal as of late, who knows if that's gonna happen? About a year ago, I'd have put Spitzer here too, but again, sex scandals make that even more unapproachable. So I don't honestly know who would fit best here.
Interior : Tom Vilsack? Brian Schweitzer? Al Gore? I'm betting a western Governor, if anything. Schweitzer would be a good fit here, I think. Gore would be more suited for Energy or Secretary of a new cabinet department of Environmental Sustainability.
Agriculture : Tom Harkin? Other than him, I can't really think of anyone who'd fit good here.
Commerce : Michael Bloomberg? Paul Krugman? James Galbraith? Economists usually fit this position, but I could see Bloomberg here, as well.
Labor : Dick Gephardt? John Edwards? Paul Krugman? All three here would be good picks. Krugman would be like a Robert Reich-esque pick, you know, except more interested in the plight of labor, rather than sucking up for Clinton's free trade policies.
Health and Human Services : Tom Daschle? Hillary Clinton? I think Daschle's pretty much been pulling for this, and I could see him at that kind of post, as is. If Clinton gets the nod, I guess that means Patterson would go for her Senate seat, but I don't see her getting a cabinet position at all.
Housing and Urban Development : No ideas whatsoever. Whoever it is, though, they're going to have to have some experience in the housing market, because it's going to be a huge issue in the coming years thanks to the Bush economic policies.
Transportation : Someone who can help reform the U.S. Transportation system. No real ideas, but probably someone who's a huge fan of public transportation. It's high time we had Transportation reform, and I think that, along with energy and environmental policy, is going to be crucial for the next administration.
Energy : Al Gore (if not in a new Environmental post), Arnold Schwarzenegger (for Bipartisanship credentials), or T. Boone Pickens (Bipartisanship, oldmanship?)?
Education : Tom Vilsack?
Veterans Affairs : Chuck Hagel (if he doesn't get the nod for Secretary of Defense) would excel in this position. If not him, Chet Edwards would be great here, too.
Homeland Security : Dick Lugar or Wes Clark if one or the other doesn't get the nod for Secretary of Defense.
Environmental Sustainability (?): For whatever new position is created by Obama for the purposes of fighting Climate Change, the spot is pretty much guaranteed to go to Al Gore. If Gore doesn't accept it, then I wouldn't know who it would go to at all. Any ideas?