If you could pick a coalition cabinet

Pamela

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I have seen it mentioned and liked the idea — the candidate picks his VP and cabinet from the other primary candidates. So we would elect much of the whole slate.

What do you think and who would you pick?
 
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I have seen it mentioned and liked the idea — the candidate picks his VP and cabinet from the other primary candidates. So we would elect much of the whole slate.

What do you think and who would you pick?
Ugh. No. The candidate needs to be able to pick who he wants for his own vp and cabinet, to put in place his or her agenda whatever it may be.
 

Innula Zenovka

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While I agree that the President/Prime Minister/Leader of the Opposition needs to be able to appoint whoever she or he thinks best to the cabinet or shadow cabinet, a political leader needs to assemble a sufficiently broad coalition among party supporters to ensure the government enjoys wide support, at least among party members.

So while an hypothetical President Sanders would be able to appoint anyone to his cabinet, I'd think it very prudent of him to appoint some people from other sections of his party, too, since he'll need their support to form an effective government, to my mind.

The article by the left-wing British commentator, Paul Mason, that I mentioned in another thread discusses this.
 

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Pamela

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Ugh. No. The candidate needs to be able to pick who he wants for his own vp and cabinet, to put in place his or her agenda whatever it may be.
I wouldn’t make it mandatory, if up to me, just a way to have a rock solid broad base.
 

Pamela

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I am thinking along these lines, If Bernie President:

VP Warren

Atty Gen Kamala

Sec State Biden

Financial / Economic things — Bloomberg and/or Yang

Housing — Steyer

EPA Inslee

Defense — Pete
 

Cristalle

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I am thinking along these lines, If Bernie President:

VP Warren

Atty Gen Kamala

Sec State Biden

Financial / Economic things — Bloomberg and/or Yang

Housing — Steyer

EPA Inslee

Defense — Pete
Whoever is his VP needs to be somebody that can be trusted to complete the mission. I'm sorry, but if I thought Warren could be trusted to do that then I would vote for her in the primary. It's not about personality, but policy. And I don't believe that she would have the conviction to go through and fight for the policies that matter the most to me. Further, I'm not fond of picking out Senators to join an Administration when the Senate balance is so important. Massachusetts is not a slam-dunk, as we saw Scott Brown win in that state.

That said, I don't see Biden being in this administration because he needs to go home and be a good grandpa.

And I wouldn't want Buttigieg near defense, because he'd be a sell-out to the military industrial complex. Let him try to run and be a governor of his state. We need more of those.

I would want someone who shares Bernie's foreign policy views to be in that position, and the person closest to that is probably Tulsi Gabbard but people have demonized her so much that you would not accept her.
 

Pamela

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I am really just thinking about how to get Trump out, not creating the ideal cabinet. (Although if you do happen to read A Team of Rivals, you see how it worked out for Lincoln.)
 

Aeon Jiminy

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Whoever is his VP needs to be somebody that can be trusted to complete the mission. I'm sorry, but if I thought Warren could be trusted to do that then I would vote for her in the primary. It's not about personality, but policy. And I don't believe that she would have the conviction to go through and fight for the policies that matter the most to me. Further, I'm not fond of picking out Senators to join an Administration when the Senate balance is so important. Massachusetts is not a slam-dunk, as we saw Scott Brown win in that state.

That said, I don't see Biden being in this administration because he needs to go home and be a good grandpa.

And I wouldn't want Buttigieg near defense, because he'd be a sell-out to the military industrial complex. Let him try to run and be a governor of his state. We need more of those.

I would want someone who shares Bernie's foreign policy views to be in that position, and the person closest to that is probably Tulsi Gabbard but people have demonized her so much that you would not accept her.
The impression I get from Sanders supporters, Nina Turner is almost unanimously expected to be his VP pick. I'd almost venture to say that it's just short of a mandate. She should be a Democrat Party crowd-pleaser, a strong dynamic qualified woman of color who will not leave any vacancies in government and who is rooted in the midwest. We'll see.
 

Brenda Archer

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I want a role for Castro. He’s really in tune with things I care about. If he was still in, I’d be voting for him. He’s endorsed Warren, but it’s clear she’s offended too many POC to be viable and I can’t ignore that. I’m about ready to fill in the oval for Bernie. He’s been good for Vermont, so no regrets.

 

Aribeth Zelin

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I just want to say... no, no, no. Sure, if the other candidates aren't in the senate right now, or congress, or some other important office, go for it.

But we need every democrat and independent senator - it won't matter who is President for the country, so long as McConnell or another GOP asshat is in charge. They have got to go. Especially in the senate.
 

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a political leader needs to assemble a sufficiently broad coalition among party supporters to ensure the government enjoys wide support
That's adorable.
 
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Innula Zenovka

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That's adorable.
I meant within the party, obviously. More of an issue in the UK, where the government can't function without the support of Parliament, but also an issue in the US, I'd have thought, since the President needs to be able to work at least with members of his or her own party in Congress.
 

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If it's safe to pluck Warren from Massachusetts, I'd rather see her as SOS than VP. If her seat isn't safely Democratic, then I want her right where she is. But if the objective is to win her supporters, then I'm fine with EW as VP. In an election with Bernie not running, I'd have been delighted that EW ran. I wanted her to run in 2016.

Frankly, I think Buttigieg is a manufactured candidate and his presence on the cabinet doesn't bring many people to the table. Ditto Bloomberg.
 
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Ugh. No. The candidate needs to be able to pick who he wants for his own vp and cabinet, to put in place his or her agenda whatever it may be.
I agree. However, in this particular case, if the Democratic nominee were to win the presidency, filling his or her VP and cabinet positions with the other candidates, with their great ideas, sharp wit, and means of making stuff happen, would be an overall win for everybody.
 
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Kara Spengler

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I am thinking along these lines, If Bernie President:

VP Warren

Atty Gen Kamala

Sec State Biden

Financial / Economic things — Bloomberg and/or Yang

Housing — Steyer

EPA Inslee

Defense — Pete
Bloomie should be nowhere near ANY position of power. If has absolutely has to have a wh post in this scenario he can be offered the job of cleaning the bathrooms.