# Bernie Sanders's place in a Hillary Clinton presidency? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 17, 2015, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-sanderss-place-in-a-hillary-clinton-presidency/734945 "2015-10-17T23:12:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2015, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-sanderss-place-in-a-hillary-clinton-presidency/734945/1 "2015-10-17T23:12:30Z")
Assume Hillary gets elected President. Where do you see Bernie Sanders in her administration? Vice-President? (Other than being the 101st senator, what good could he do? Assume Hillary won’t be killed or otherwise removed from office before her term(s) is up) Somewhere in the Cabinet? Which post? (If he thinks “free college for all” is a priority, how about Secretary of Education? Or perhaps Secretary of HHS, if health is more of a concern?) Maybe wait for a Supreme Court spot? ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2015, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-sanderss-place-in-a-hillary-clinton-presidency/734945/2 "2015-10-17T23:43:58Z")
In Congress. I’m not seeing a particular need that she’d fill for her administration that couldn’t be filled better by someone else. He’s also old enough that she’s not grooming a rising young star for something bigger. His base of support aren’t particularly swing voters. They might not turn out to vote but with the current partisanship I don’t know if it’s not possible to minimize that. He doesn’t bring a huge base of legislative supporters that an appointment would help solidify support among. What does he bring to the table that earns him an appointment from her? ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2015, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-sanderss-place-in-a-hillary-clinton-presidency/734945/3 "2015-10-17T23:45:15Z")
I guess stranger things have happened, but I don’t see a role for Bernie in a Clinton administration. There is nothing Bernie has that Hillary wants, and vice-versa. They’ll part ways amicably, Bernie will continue to speak out on the issues he cares about until he retires and that will be that. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2015, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-sanderss-place-in-a-hillary-clinton-presidency/734945/4 "2015-10-17T23:49:44Z")
Why not give him [Labor](http://www.dol.gov/#)? Our Mission To foster, promote, and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers, and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2015, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-sanderss-place-in-a-hillary-clinton-presidency/734945/5 "2015-10-17T23:52:13Z")
Head of EPA would work, he even looks a little like [He speaks for the Trees](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lorax). Joke aside, he feels Global Climate Change is the #1 threat to humanity and US security so EPA could be a good place. VP seems like a waste, he won’t be running in 8 years for President so the position is no help to him. Foreign policy is not his strong suit so you wouldn’t use him Biden or Bush the Elder style as a senior ambassador/second Sect. of State. Department of the Interior or Energy are reasonable positions for him. Maybe even DOT so he can try and increase efficiency of vehicles and reduce carbon emissions. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2015, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-sanderss-place-in-a-hillary-clinton-presidency/734945/6 "2015-10-18T00:00:14Z")
I could see him as Labor sec or Education sec. I expect he’d do a good job in either of these positions. But honestly, I don’t see him wanting either of them. He’s a gadfly. He is well suited to the Senate, as an “independent,” where he doesn’t have to support anybody else’s policies if he doesn’t want to and can scream his opposition from the rooftops. Being in a cabinet means supporting things you don’t necessarily like, being a team player, perhaps an arm twister. These aren’t roles that Sanders excels at or seems to enjoy. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2015, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-sanderss-place-in-a-hillary-clinton-presidency/734945/7 "2015-10-18T00:08:00Z")
Answering phones, maybe sending faxes. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2015, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-sanderss-place-in-a-hillary-clinton-presidency/734945/8 "2015-10-18T00:08:54Z")
I think it is pretty clear that Sanders doesn’t want to have to carry out policies he disagrees with, which is surely quite a few that the Clinton Administration would seek to carry out. In short, he wouldn’t want any job in the Clinton Administration, and the Clinton Administration wouldn’t want to give him any job. It’s a win-win. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2015, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-sanderss-place-in-a-hillary-clinton-presidency/734945/9 "2015-10-18T00:43:46Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Head of EPA would work, he even looks a little like [He speaks for the Trees](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lorax). No, EPA requires a solid science background. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2015, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-sanderss-place-in-a-hillary-clinton-presidency/734945/10 "2015-10-18T00:50:41Z")
Bernie Sanders’ term as Senator doesn’t expire until 2018, so it’s not like he’ll be unemployed if Hillary wins. I think he’d be much happier in the Senate than as the Designated Cabinet Member To Stay Away From The State Of The Union Address In Case Of Disaster. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2015, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-sanderss-place-in-a-hillary-clinton-presidency/734945/11 "2015-10-18T01:32:39Z")
> [@DinoR](#): > > What does he bring to the table that earns him an appointment from her? Intelligence, eloquence, integrity, and passion. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2015, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-sanderss-place-in-a-hillary-clinton-presidency/734945/12 "2015-10-18T01:46:30Z")
I’m pretty sure we can rule out Secretary of Defense. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2015, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-sanderss-place-in-a-hillary-clinton-presidency/734945/13 "2015-10-18T01:49:10Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Intelligence, eloquence, integrity, and passion. So Secretary of Speeches then? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2015, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-sanderss-place-in-a-hillary-clinton-presidency/734945/14 "2015-10-18T02:27:17Z")
His seat doesn’t come up again until 2018. Send him back to the Senate. ---
**Author:** ![OffByOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/45deac/32.png) [@OffByOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OffByOne)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-sanderss-place-in-a-hillary-clinton-presidency/734945/15 "2015-10-19T12:40:42Z")
I think that the Presidency is the only thing that would separate Bernie from the Senate. If he doesn’t win the nomination, I think he will reject any offers (if there are any) to join Clinton’s administration to stay in the Senate where he can do the most good. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-sanderss-place-in-a-hillary-clinton-presidency/734945/16 "2015-10-19T13:00:47Z")
I doubt he’d have any official role. If Hillary wins the nomination, VP will be some ‘up and comer’, very possibly Hispanic, to serve as the party’s future standard bearer. Experienced prez candidates choose young and “fresh” VPs to be future presidents (Quayle, Edwards, Paul Ryan, etc.), while inexperienced prez candidates choose older and experienced insiders to balance less experience (Bush I, Cheney, Biden etc.). ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-sanderss-place-in-a-hillary-clinton-presidency/734945/17 "2015-10-19T14:47:25Z")
He’ll be the friendly voice in the Senate that will hold her feet to the fire if she governs like a Republican. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-sanderss-place-in-a-hillary-clinton-presidency/734945/18 "2015-10-19T15:24:48Z")
Hillary is definitely going to put him on the Supreme Court. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-sanderss-place-in-a-hillary-clinton-presidency/734945/19 "2015-10-19T15:50:22Z")
> [@j666](#): > > No, EPA requires a solid science background. I don’t think that’s a rule, and I’m sure if you sum it up the head of the EPA has mostly been a lawyer or business major. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2015, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-sanderss-place-in-a-hillary-clinton-presidency/734945/20 "2015-10-19T16:13:40Z")
> [@DinoR](#): > > In Congress. No fair finishing the thread with the first line of the first response. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bernie-sanderss-place-in-a-hillary-clinton-presidency/734945.md?page=2)