Everyone's talking about Obama's running mate. But who would you like to see in an Obama cabinet?
Today you can vote on the next Secretary of Education. Also, the previous rounds are still open for voting. More below the fold.
For all of you have been following these polls, I just wanted to let you know that I changed the system of the polls. The problem is that up to Sec. of Labor all polls were won by white men. It is as unrealistic as can be that we'd actually have a cabinet in which all the top positions were held by white men. It's not the 60s anymore. So the Obama Cabinet polls will have to change a little.
What I will do from now on:
I will still poll all positions and the initial polls for all positions are reopened. So you can still vote for State, AG, etc. In the end, I will look at all poll results and will compile five different cabinets including your favorite candidates from each poll (plus a wildcard where necessary). The diversity of the US population will be reflected in each cabinet. And you then get to vote on each cabinet as a whole.
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You can still vote in the following polls. Here are the links:
Please note: candidates who had won earlier polls were not included in subsequent polls. Those candidates (Richardson, Edwards) may now get wildcards.
Secretary of State (Bill Richardson will get a wildcard)
Secretary of the Treasury
Secretary of Defense
Attorney General
Secretary of the Interior (Les AuCoin's vote total will not count due to ridiculously obvious and stupid poll stuffing)
Secretary of Agriculture
Secretary of Commerce
Secretary of Labor (Robert Reich and John Edwards will receive a wildcard)
Secretary of Health and Human Services
Secretary of Housing and Urband Development
Secretary of Transportation
Secretary of Energy
You can vote in one or all of these polls. I just ask you to please only vote once.
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Here's the list of current cabinet positions and cabinet level administration offices that will be polled in the coming weeks:
Secretary of Education
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Secretary of Homeland Security
White House Chief of Staff
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
Director of the Office of Management and Budget
Director of the National Drug Control Policy
United States Trade Representative
Who will be included: a maximum of 15 candidates (max number of positions in Dkos polls), I'll try to make each round as diverse as possible, always keeping in mind competence and knowledge required for the respective position. Therefore, I'll include men and women, minorities, sitting and former elected officials, appointed officials, academics, people from the non-profit and private sectors, Obama as well as Clinton supporters, and, yes, also Republicans and Independents.
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Today's candidates for Secretary of Education are (in alphabetical order, links lead to bio):
Susan Castillo (OR) - Oregon Superintendent of Public Instruction
Veronica Garcia (NM) - fmr. Superintendent of Santa Fe Public Schools, current Sec. of Education of New Mexico
Sandy Garrett (OK) - Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction (since 1990)
fmr. Gov. Kenny Guinn (R-NV) - fmr. superintendent of the Clark County School District, fmr. Gov. of Nevada
Rep. Mazie Hirono (HI) - fmr. Lt. Gov. of Hawaii, member of the House Education Committee
Dwight D. Jones (CO) - Colorado Commissioner of Education
Alfie Kohn - educational lecturer and author
Wendy Kopp - founder and CEO of Teach for America
Jonathan Kozol - educator, author of books on public education, founder of Education Action
Stephanie Pace Marshall (IL) - ecucator, author, founding president of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
Rep. George Miller (CA) - Chair of the House Education and Labor Committee
Suellen Reed (IN) - Superintendent of Public Instruction of Indiana (since 1992)
Inez Tenenbaum (SC) - fmr. Superintendent of Education of South Carolina
Paul Vallas (IL) - fmr. CEO of Chicago Public Schools, fmr. CEO of the Philadelphia School District, current Superintendent of the Recovery School District of New Orleans
fmr. Gov. Bob Wise (WV) - fmr. Gov. of West Virgina, current President of the Alliance for Excellent Eduaction
I would also like to ask you to nominate candidates for all cabinet positions not yet polled, for several of them I'm still well short of 15 candidates.
Also: if I don't get nominations for Director of the National Drug Control Policy I won't be polling it.
Enjoy voting!