Who Will be in a Kerry Cabinet?
 

I'm guessing that Kerry would name John McCain as Secretary of Defense, and Bill Clinton as U.N. Ambassador (which will be raised to a cabinet level position.)

Re: Who Will be in a Kerry Cabinet?
 

Ralph Nader: Secretary of the Environment / Commerce Secretary

Ted Kennedy: Secretary of Defense

Re: Re: Who Will be in a Kerry Cabinet?
 

Yeah Right! :rolleyes:

I think that Robert Kennedy, Jr. would make a good head of the EPA. Does the EPA count? It's a Cabinet rank position. He has done some great work cleaning the Hudson.

Re: Re: Re: Who Will be in a Kerry Cabinet?
 

Al Gore for Secretary of Defense.

I find the use of the word "will" in the title amusing.

This thread scares the hell out of me.

Maybe the thread should be "Hypothetically who might be in Kerry's Cabinet."

Re: Re: Re: Who Will be in a Kerry Cabinet?
 

Are you still volunteering for the LaRouche campaign? I know you dropped out of Depaul to hand out those fliers on the corners in hyde park but I didn't know if you still were doing it.

-Rudey

I titled the same way for the thread about a second Bush administration.

I hope that you were equally amused.

I like Howard Dean as Secretary of Health and Human Services.

(Oh, and I find it unneccesary that Bush-supporters are coming into this thread. If you don't like Kerry and his ideas, fine and dandy, it's your perogative. This thread is a might/maybe kind of thing. Kerry supporters haven't touched the Bush cabinet thread, so let us daydream a little, kay? :))

Re: Re: Who Will be in a Kerry Cabinet?
 

One problem with Ted Kennedy. He's the senior senator from Massachusetts, Kerry is the junior senator. If a senator leaves to take another job, the governor appoints a new senator. Now our governor is a conservative republican and would appoint a republican. So by picking Ted Kennedy, Kerry would effectively lose two Democratic seats in the Senate - good news for those of you who are Republicans, bad news for the rest of us.

Don't even get me started on Ralph Nader. He needs a mute button.

In terms of my picks:
Wesley Clark for some national-security posting. Either secretary of state or Secretary of Defense.

Former Georgia Senator Max Cleland for some position. He was lynched by Republicans who questioned his patriotism - and I don't care that his injuries weren't technically combat related, I would bet 20 dollars that most of the Republicans making the accusations dodged the draft or served half-ass like W. (Please don't flame me he went MIA for quite some time in the Air National Guard AND had his term of service shortened so he could attend business school.)

I would love to see John McCain as vice president, but apparently he is not going to do it. I love John McCain and think if he were elected vice president it would really represent a new era in this country of bipartisanship, and hopefully engineer a split in the Republican party that I think is a long time coming - its bizarre to me that traditional, Rockefeller Republicans and the NRA/Christian Coalition Republicans are part of the same party. If the Republican Party were controlled by Rockefeller Republicans, I might vote for a Republican for a national office (so far I have voted for a Republican exactly once - for state senator - and i have voted in every single election/primary etc since i turned 18).

Re: Re: Re: Who Will be in a Kerry Cabinet?
 

The Republican party was founded as a party that melded issues together. It enveloped the anti-slavery issues from its start. Of course the Republican party of old is not the Republican party of new but certain things remain very intact. As for the Christian right, well those are actually Democratic voters historically and even now Bush is trying to court them because he's worried they will vote Democrat over Republican in this election.

And I would love to see why Democrats love McCain who is very Republican just like Lieberman is very Democratic.

-Rudey

People seem to get the following terms confused:

Republican and Conservative

and

Democrat and Liberal

Re: Re: Re: Re: Who Will be in a Kerry Cabinet?
 

Perhaps I should have phrased it, I think there should possibly be a split between moderate Republicans and conservative Republicans. I think on a lot of issues moderate Republicans and moderate Democrats are far closer than moderate Republicans and conservative Republicans. (For example, many moderate Republicans are financially conservative and socially liberal, as are many moderate Democrats. Perhaps they should all vote for the same candidate who is financially conservative and socially liberal. I know thats who I would vote for).

As for why THIS Democrat loves McCain - I think he is a man of honor based on his conduct in Vietnam. (I believe he was offered early release from captivity because his father was secretary of the navy and he refused unless all the other Americans were released as well). I strongly agree with his positions on campaign finance and the environment. I admire him for having the courage to call George Bush out when he (McCain) disagrees with him, since some Republicans like to smear those who criticize the administration.

And in terms of the origins of the republican party, it was originally Abraham Lincoln's Party - aka the party that abolished slavery, and for years was the more "liberal" party. However FDR liberalized the Democratic party, although there was a huge divide between Northern Democrats and Southern Democrats. (Southern Democrats were often segregationalists). Richard Nixon and other Republicans engineered a "Southern Strategy" in the late 60s/early 70s to attract Southern Democrats into the Republican Party.

Now, here I'm just guessing, but I think that the Christian Right was, up until the 70s, historically democratic. In the early 1970s abortion became legalized. Many Republicans took a pro-life stance, many Democrats took a pro-choice stance. It wouldn't surprise me if during the 70s many people on the Christian right who had voted democratic went over to the Republican fold based on the abortion issue. It would, however, surprise me if members of the Christian right went en masse over to the pro-choice Democratic party.

Before you criticize me please note my use of modifiers such as "many", "some", and "often", which were employed in order to avoid making blanket generalizations.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Who Will be in a Kerry Cabinet?
 

I dont' criticize people. I say they're right, wrong, agree, don't agree, etc. It works better when I say it that way.

Perhaps you should look at McCain's voting record or see what else he's said about Kerry and Democrats. What you said is a very superficial remark - you agree with certain things that a lot of people support but you brought up McCain so what makes him so different...meaning it's not just about the 2 or 3 issues you said and if you look further, McCain is a staunch Republican who will only switch if he smells the money under his nose.

And the Republican party was a merging and in the 1850's it became what it is - before that it was several parties and the freedom party was only one of the factions. The one thing that hasn't changed is that the Democratic party is the party of immigrants.

The Christian right voted Republican under Reagan.

Also party power cycles every 40 years...

-Rudey

Re: Re: Re: Who Will be in a Kerry Cabinet?
 

i believe they are int he final stages right now of passing a bill that would have who fills the seat done by an election instead of Romney choosing it.

anyone in kerrys cabinet will be better than the current bush's.



KERRY 04.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Who Will be in a Kerry Cabinet?
 

John McCain's father was Admiral John S. McCain, Jr., commander in chief of the Pacific Fleet (CINCPAC) during Vietnam. Before being shot down over North Vietnam, John III (the current Senator) narrowly escaped being roasted aboard the USS Forrestal when a stray missile exploded on the flight deck, causing a catastrophic fire aboard the ship.

The USS John S. McCain (DDG-56) is named after his father. A previous ship, DDG-36 honors Sen. McCain's grandfather, who was instrumental in turning the tide of battle during the Battle of Leyte Gulf in WW II.

amen!

I didn't see your other thread, but knowing that I rarely put the cart before the horse, I probably would have been amused.

Sorry to disappoint.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Who Will be in a Kerry Cabinet?
 

A few clarifications to my opinion (written very late at night my time):

The major, #1 reason that I like John McCain is because he seems to be an honorable/trustworthy/moral person. He is far more conservative than I am but he seems significantly different from many politicians, in part because of his war conduct. Also thanks AlphaSigOU for pointing out what McCain's father's position actually was, I thought it might be secretary of the navy but didnt feel like looking it up. (I get charged by the page for internet access).

Also I said that the Christian right probably started voting Republican in the 70s... so yeah they would have voted republican under reagan.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Who Will be in a Kerry Cabinet?
 

It's no guarantee that it will pass though...and I'm not sure if that makes it any better. All the icumbent office holders who will be running (Barney Frank, et. al) will have an enormous fund raising advantage over everyone else.

Either way one party is going to have a infinite advantage in the elections.

Confusion! Ha!
 

What people? Oh I know............Elves, Eskimo's, and little people from Gumdrop Lane!

These are names that have been tossed around in the various campaign headquarters I have been in lately and before the Iowa Caucus:

-Carol Mosely-Braun
-Tom Harkin
-John McCain
-John Edwards
-Dick Gephardt
-Bob Graham
-Bob Kerrey
-Tom Vilsack
-Howard Dean

Harkin would make a good Sec. of Agriculture
McCain would make a good Sec of Defense
Braun would make a good Sec of State
Dean would make a good Sec of HHS
Vilsack would make a good Sec of HUD

Every Democratic Secretary of State has been a member of the Trilateral Commision since it was founded in the early 70s. I don't think that Braun is a member of the TriCom, but I would have to get a current copy of their membership roster to see.

While I agree Tom would make a great Sec of Ag. I like him as our senator and would hate to lose his seniority. He is in a position to make things happen for Iowa.

I agree with McCain for Sec of Defense.

I think Edwards would be the best Sec of State we could have. He is such a excellent debater and orator.

Vilsack for HUD? Interesting thought.

Dean for HHS is a good choice too. Some one with passion, heart AND a brain is always a good choice for a position that deals with building people up.

Gephardt is the best possible choice for Sec of Labor. No one understands the blue collar worker like he does.