# Let's name a Biden Cabinet **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 8, 2020, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040 "2020-11-08T05:34:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2020, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/181 "2020-12-05T19:27:36Z")
I guess I should qualify that, on further reflection. Yes, after the open displays of white nationalism in the Trump years, of course it’s valuable to repudiate that by having people of color well represented in the administration. BUT - is it really necessary to micro-manage every single position on the basis of identity politics? I really don’t want to see excessive purity tests get in the way of the new cabinet’s progress. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2020, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/182 "2020-12-06T04:40:40Z")
I agree you pick the best qualified people no matter what they look like or who they love, etc. And no, that does not mean you end up with only white guys. I think that’s a big problem for Dems - they want 1 person from group A, another from B, C, etc ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2020, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/183 "2020-12-06T23:29:52Z")
I guess he checked off the Latino box with the HHS secretary pick from CA Xavier Becerra. Another career politician and lawyer and does not seem to have any experience in health care. 👎 I guess someone like a Dr. was not good enough ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2020, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/184 "2020-12-06T23:43:53Z")
The secretary of HHS oversees something like 80,000 employees so management experience is, I think, more important than being a doctor. And according to Wikipedia, Becerra was the head of the US division of Eli Lilly from 2012-7, so he has relevant experience. ---
**Author:** ![Boycott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boycott/32/6741_2.png) [@Boycott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boycott)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2020, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/185 "2020-12-06T23:53:03Z")
He was a name being pushed for Newsom to appoint as Harris’s replacement. That’s all I know about him. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2020, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/186 "2020-12-07T00:29:10Z")
Being a medical doctor doesn’t seem like a particular qualification for HHS Secretary – from a quick scan, none of Obama’s, Bush’s or Clinton’s appointees had a practicing medical background. Many of the recent officeholders have been politicians (Tom Price, Kathleen Sebelius, Tommy Thompson, Michael Levitt). And that makes sense. Health care is one of the most politically charged topics in Washington. You need an HHS Secretary who can navigate the delicate politics of health care reform, who knows how to cut a deal with Congress, who can wheedle and cajole the myriad interest groups, etc. These are political skills, and it makes sense to install someone with that toolkit. That said, I know nothing about Becerra and have no idea whether he’ll be a good pick. But I wouldn’t count lack of a medical background as a significant strike against him – I’m sure he’ll have many M.D.s among his advisors. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2020, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/187 "2020-12-07T00:33:41Z")
How did he work for Lily when he was in Congress from 2012-2017? You must have seen a bad edit on wikipedia. here is his government website [Attorney General Rob Bonta | State of California - Department of Justice - Office of the Attorney General](https://oag.ca.gov/about) Biden is already caving in to various groups with his picks. This won’t be the last time he does it . ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2020, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/188 "2020-12-07T00:39:35Z")
No, it was my mistake; the current Secretary of HHS is the one who led Eli Lilly. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2020, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/189 "2020-12-07T01:11:46Z")
Birds of a feather flock together. He will pick a lot of former Obama people and career politicians. ---
**Author:** ![Boycott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boycott/32/6741_2.png) [@Boycott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boycott)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2020, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/191 "2020-12-08T00:12:19Z")
He’s chosen his secretary of defense > **[Lloyd Austin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lloyd_Austin)** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > > > Lloyd James Austin III (born August 8, 1953) is a retired United States Army four-star general who, since his appointment on January 22, 2021, has served as the 28th United States Secretary of Defense. He is the first African American to serve as the United States Secretary of Defense. Austin previously served as the 12th commander of United States Central Command (CENTCOM) from 2013 to 2016. > Austin was the 33rd vice chief of staff of the Army... > **[Biden picks retired general Lloyd Austin to run Pentagon](https://www.politico.com/news/2020/12/07/lloyd-austin-biden-secretary-defense-frontrunner-contender-443479?2)** > > If confirmed, the retired general would become the first Black defense secretary. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2020, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/192 "2020-12-08T00:30:23Z")
funny how so many articles say something like "growing pressure on Biden to hire “member of some group” for the job. Instead of pressure to hire best person for the job. looks like a white guy might run USDA. It’s ok since he also worked for Obama. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2020, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/193 "2020-12-08T01:10:28Z")
Can’t say I’m a fan of having two Secretaries of Defense in short order who are recently retired officers. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2020, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/194 "2020-12-08T01:31:16Z")
Yeah, not quite the message I’d want to send as to civilian control of the military, even if any individual nominee was very good on the merits. ---
**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:** [December 8, 2020, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/195 "2020-12-08T02:04:19Z")
Thirded. Flag officers as SecDef sets a bad precedent, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lantern2/32/3010_2.png) [@Lantern2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern2)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2020, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/196 "2020-12-08T09:18:10Z")
I agree that the Democrats have become excessively obsessed with demographic representation when it comes to cabinet picks. It’s OK as one (lesser) consideration among several but particularly for the Defense Sec pick, it virtually became female versus black and apparently black won out this time. Austin is not a good pick. The Defense Secretary should be a civilian with sufficient experience with defense issues and who shares the core national security convictions of the President and the party. Aside from the civilian issue, what does anyone know about Austin’s broad approach to national security? Flournoy would have been a better pick but she is very much a creature of the national security establishment and its penchant for forever wars which the US military can’t seem to win but also doesn’t want to end. Biden should have looked for someone with experience and national security credibility but also who would represent a shift from the last 20 years of fruitless wars. I have no idea who that would be, but they would be a whole lot easier to find without also having to tick-mark the right demographic boxes. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2020, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/197 "2020-12-08T13:21:05Z")
I predict if this guy withdraws or is turned down Biden will simply find another black person to nominate . ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2020, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/198 "2020-12-08T14:29:16Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > I guess he checked off the Latino box with the HHS secretary pick > [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > looks like a white guy might run USDA. It’s ok since he also worked for Obama. > [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Biden will simply find another black person to nominate . Looks like someone is obsessed with demographics but it’s not Biden. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2020, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/199 "2020-12-08T14:39:26Z")
Well it does not matter what I care about does it? I’m not the guy running the government in a month. BTW I did not vote for Biden or Trump. Voted Green ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2020, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/200 "2020-12-08T14:53:28Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Voted Green I’m not sure why you mentioned this, but your colors are definitely showing. For the record, should you be interested in learning about Xavier Becerra aside from his ethnicity, the NY Times had a long article about him yesterday. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2020, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040/201 "2020-12-08T14:56:33Z")
yes I saw Xavier is a career politician just like Biden. 24 years in DC. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-name-a-biden-cabinet/925040.md?page=11)