# McCain offers Obama a cabinet post

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-offers-obama-a-cabinet-post/462131>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [September 5, 2008, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-offers-obama-a-cabinet-post/462131 "2008-09-05T04:25:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-offers-obama-a-cabinet-post/462131/1 "2008-09-05T04:25:13Z")

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Just to give out a “never gonna happen” hypothetical.

In a week or so, McCain says that if elected he will appoint Obama as Sec of HUD (or whatever it’s called now). Net effect: helps McCain (undecideds get the best of both world and McCain shows he’s willing to have Domos in his administration), helps Obama (gee, even McCain likes Obama’s ideas), or no effect?

Just realized I was still in GQ. Mod can you move this to GD please?

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**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-offers-obama-a-cabinet-post/462131/2 "2008-09-05T04:27:28Z")

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Absolutely no way of knowing, but my blind guess would be ultimately zero gain. Obama would benefit the most as it might gain him a few “fencers” due to the “see, even McCain thinks he’s great”, but I don’t think it would gain him that many, while it might gain McCain a few (I can’t imagine it costing him any since anybody pissed that he offered Obama something sure as hell isn’t going to vote for Obama in protest).

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**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-offers-obama-a-cabinet-post/462131/3 "2008-09-05T04:30:14Z")

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It would help Obama, first it would probably say that even McCain thinks Obama’s ideas, so why vote for the guy using them rather than the guy who came up with them? (Like you said) It would ALSO probably trash his ratings with at least a portion of his established voter base, especially the more racial-acceptance challenged crowd who wouldn’t vote for him after the promise (indirectly helping Obama).

> [@Sampiro](#):
>
> Absolutely no way of knowing, but my blind guess would be ultimately zero gain. Obama would benefit the most as it might gain him a few “fencers” due to the “see, even McCain thinks he’s great”, but I don’t think it would gain him that many, while it might gain McCain a few (I can’t imagine it costing him any since anybody pissed that he offered Obama something sure as hell isn’t going to vote for Obama in protest).

No, but they may forgo voting altogether in protest.

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**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\
**Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mccain-offers-obama-a-cabinet-post/462131/4 "2008-09-05T04:53:04Z")

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> [@Saint\_Cad](#):
>
> Just realized I was still in GQ. Mod can you move this to GD please?

Moving to GD.

Colibri  
General Questions Moderator