# Obama puts McCain in his Cabinet: Brilliant or Foolish? \[What if?\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 15, 2008, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-puts-mccain-in-his-cabinet-brilliant-or-foolish-what-if/472807 "2008-11-15T02:40:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-puts-mccain-in-his-cabinet-brilliant-or-foolish-what-if/472807/21 "2008-11-15T14:36:39Z")
Both men put up their policies to a public vote and the public chose which policies they were in favour of so it would be dishonest to put McCain in the cabinet. Whats the point in having an election if the loser gets into government anyway? Heads you win,Tails you win. IMO it would also set a bad precedent for the future and undermine the democratic process of the most powerful country on Earth. Also it would smack of cronyism. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-puts-mccain-in-his-cabinet-brilliant-or-foolish-what-if/472807/22 "2008-11-15T14:48:21Z")
> [@Dumbguy](#): > > Secretary of Pudding? Only if he wins the death match with Cosby. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-puts-mccain-in-his-cabinet-brilliant-or-foolish-what-if/472807/23 "2008-11-15T14:57:43Z")
I seriously like the idea, though not this particular application of it. McCain has disqualified himselffrom being the Secretary of Anything by running such an inept directionless campaign. But I can conceive of a world in one’s opponent clearly had enormous competence in some particular area, but you defeated him anyway, that one area notwithstanding. I could imagine W. appointing Gore to be his Secretary of Education, for example, which would have given his bullshit campaign slogan of “a uniter, not a divider,” a few more months of credibility. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-puts-mccain-in-his-cabinet-brilliant-or-foolish-what-if/472807/24 "2008-11-15T15:50:56Z")
Bill Clinton had a Republican Secretary of Defense. It wouldn’t be unprecedented to have an opposite party member in the Cabinet. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-puts-mccain-in-his-cabinet-brilliant-or-foolish-what-if/472807/25 "2008-11-15T16:41:16Z")
> [@Lust4Life](#): > > Both men put up their policies to a public vote and the public chose which policies they were in favour of so it would be dishonest to put McCain in the cabinet. > > Whats the point in having an election if the loser gets into government anyway? > Heads you win,Tails you win. Cabinet heads do not make policy. They implement policy which means they work at the pleasure of the President. And McCain is in government. He may be less trouble in a Cabinet seat. Honestly I’d find him a sweet Ambassadorship. McCain is old. He could coast out his last few years in style and leisure and honor and be out of the hair of the President. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-puts-mccain-in-his-cabinet-brilliant-or-foolish-what-if/472807/26 "2008-11-15T16:41:38Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Bill Clinton had a Republican Secretary of Defense. It wouldn’t be unprecedented to have an opposite party member in the Cabinet. Secretary of Defense is a bad example, as that position is almost always filled by a Republican anyway. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-puts-mccain-in-his-cabinet-brilliant-or-foolish-what-if/472807/27 "2008-11-15T17:10:52Z")
Why would McCain want to be in Obama’s cabinet? He’s one of the top dawgs in the Senate. Same goes for Hillary. People have some weird idea that the cabinet is a step up for a powerful Senator. It’s not. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-puts-mccain-in-his-cabinet-brilliant-or-foolish-what-if/472807/28 "2008-11-15T17:17:34Z")
> [@Lust4Life](#): > > Both men put up their policies to a public vote and the public chose which policies they were in favour of so it would be dishonest to put McCain in the cabinet. > > Whats the point in having an election if the loser gets into government anyway? > Heads you win,Tails you win. > > . Do you apply this logic to Hillary Clinton? She lost the election too, but I don’'t see anyone saying that she should be banned from serving in Obama’s Cabinet and IMO she pummelled him much more effectively than McCain did. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-puts-mccain-in-his-cabinet-brilliant-or-foolish-what-if/472807/29 "2008-11-15T17:25:46Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Cabinet heads do not make policy. They implement policy which means they work at the pleasure of the President. > > And McCain is in government. He may be less trouble in a Cabinet seat. > > Honestly I’d find him a sweet Ambassadorship. McCain is old. He could coast out his last few years in style and leisure and honor and be out of the hair of the President. I agree that he could be put in a honorable position where he has _less_ power then he would as senator. I’m surprised that so many think this is a horrible idea. I could be biased since I used to support McCain…so I don’t see him as the evil bastard that many apparently do. I agree he ran a slimy campaign (just like Hillary did), but I actually think he is a decent man at his core who would not undermine his president. And of course the president wouldn’t be foolish enough to hand him a position of real power anyway. But I think the gesture could do a lot to reduce the ‘us vs them’ mentality that seems to come with every new administration and Obama could be seen as a ‘reach across the aisle’ kind of guy. Are any Republicans weighing in here or are most who replied Democrats? ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-puts-mccain-in-his-cabinet-brilliant-or-foolish-what-if/472807/30 "2008-11-15T17:50:40Z")
I think it may makes sense for Obama to work with McCain on some initiative where they have reasonably similar views. Earmarks or global warming perhaps. There are probably millions of McCain voters who were seriously considering Obama as well. A conciliatory gesture towards McCain early on in his administration will go a long way attracting many of these voters to Obama. However a cabinet position for McCain IMO is unnecessary. I can’t think of any cabinet position where he both has genuine expertise and similar views to Obama. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-puts-mccain-in-his-cabinet-brilliant-or-foolish-what-if/472807/31 "2008-11-15T17:57:11Z")
Offer him Secretary of Veterans Affairs or ambassadorship to Ghana, perhaps- something that in the unlikely event he accepts he can’t do any real damage at. Save the plum cabinet and diplomatic posts for Sarah Palin of course, who’s already said she’d be thrilled to work on D.C.; make her ambassador to Russia and she’d barely have to commute. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-puts-mccain-in-his-cabinet-brilliant-or-foolish-what-if/472807/32 "2008-11-15T18:06:08Z")
I had forgotten about Veteran Affairs. That is a post McCain is qualified for without being at odds with Obama’s core positions. I doubt he would accept it though. I suppose Obama could offer it anyway but it could be interpreted as an insult. I think it’s best to forget about McCain in the cabinet and think about some piece of bipartisan legislation where Obama could work with McCain. The key is to push it early when voters are still paying a bit of attention. ---
**Author:** ![geniios](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9d8465/32.png) [@geniios](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/geniios)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-puts-mccain-in-his-cabinet-brilliant-or-foolish-what-if/472807/33 "2008-11-15T20:37:46Z")
No he chose someone who said he was “unfit to lead” for his running mate. > [@Menocchio](#): > > It would behoove Obama to reach out to the center right, yes, but there’s ways to do that without handing power to someone who just spent that last two years saying you were unfit to lead. > > Besides, McCain could better serve his party and political PoV from the minority in the senate than by doing Obama’s bidding in the executive branch. I doubt he’d be interested. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-puts-mccain-in-his-cabinet-brilliant-or-foolish-what-if/472807/34 "2008-11-15T21:05:13Z")
What in the world would make anyone think that McCain would be willing to serve in the Cabinet??? Takes two to tango… ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-puts-mccain-in-his-cabinet-brilliant-or-foolish-what-if/472807/35 "2008-11-15T21:08:29Z")
> [@Lust4Life](#): > > Whats the point in having an election if the loser gets into government anyway? > Heads you win,Tails you win. back in the olden days, before indoor plumbing, the loser of the election won the wonderful position of vice president. totally explains the lack of power in that position… well, until cheney that is. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-puts-mccain-in-his-cabinet-brilliant-or-foolish-what-if/472807/36 "2008-11-15T21:09:51Z")
First and foremost, this is not going to happen. Obama probably wants to find some common ground on which McCain would be supportive in the Senate, and that’s a very good idea. Working with Republicans in the cabinet would also be a good idea. McCain’s been a senator for 25 years. I can’t really see him wanting to be Obama’s secretary for veterans affairs - or for that matter, homeland security or anything else. He wouldn’t be offered a policy position because his views are too different from Obama’s. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Dave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/46a35a/32.png) [@Great\_Dave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Dave)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2008, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-puts-mccain-in-his-cabinet-brilliant-or-foolish-what-if/472807/37 "2008-11-15T22:26:55Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Well…the Dems are darn near a filibuster proof 60 votes in the Senate. If they do not pick up the last three Senate seats still undecided then Obama can appoint a Republican from a state with a Democratic governor. The Governor could then appoint a Dem to the open Senate seat. As it happens Arizona has a Dem governor. > > So let’s say the Dems get 2 of the outstanding three seats (two seems likely although it is close all over…Alaska seems a shoe in, Minnesota is a tough call, Georgia the Reps are going to go ape shit defending so another tough call). If the Dems have 59 Obama in a gesture of bipartisanship and reaching out to those 48% who voted for McCain Obama could appoint him to, say, Veteran Affairs (or maybe toss him a juicy Ambassadorship). > > McCain would be cornered. His party would almost certainly beg him to keep his Senate seat. If he leaves the Dems get their 60 votes and McCain is somewhere relatively harmless. If he remains a Senator then Obama can say he tried to be magnanimous. > > Gotta love politics sometimes. 🙂 That’s what I was gonna say. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-puts-mccain-in-his-cabinet-brilliant-or-foolish-what-if/472807/38 "2008-11-16T02:15:04Z")
Obama has said [he will appoint a Republican to his Cabinet](http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/15/obama-pledges-to-appoint-republican-to-cabinet/) but has given no hint as to who that might be. He might not consider McCain for other reasons, such as competence, but imo Obama would not rule McCain out simply because they’ve been adversaries and McCain’s called him every name in the book.[He seems to appreciate opposing view points](http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081115/ap_on_el_pr/obama_team_of_rivals) and wants to model his administration after Lincoln’s. I find this strategy very intriguing whether it involves John McCain or not. [quote=] Presidents typically say they want to be surrounded by strong-willed people who have the courage to disagree with them. President-elect Barack Obama, reaching out to Hillary Rodham Clinton and Republicans, actually might mean it. Abraham Lincoln meant it. He appointed his bitter adversaries to crucial posts, choosing as war secretary a man who had called him a “long-armed ape” who "does not know anything and can do you no good. I think it reflects a great inner strength on Obama’s part that he is seriously considering creating a team of rivals as Lincoln did," Goodwin told The Associated Press on Friday. “By surrounding himself with people who bring different perspectives, he will increase his options, absorb dissenting views and heighten his ability to speak empathetically to people on different sides of each issue. The challenge, of course, is to ensure that the discussions do not become paralyzing, and that once a decision is made the inner circle accepts that the time for debate is over,” she said. [/quote] ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-puts-mccain-in-his-cabinet-brilliant-or-foolish-what-if/472807/39 "2008-11-16T02:36:18Z")
I agree that Obama should appoint a Republican to his Cabinet. But McCain is too old, too aggressive and has never held high office. However there is a Republican who: - is about to become available - beat McCain in an election - has held the highest office in the land Surely Obama has a wonderful choice of putting ex-President Bush in charge of: - environmental issues - balancing the budget - foreign relations - human rights - hunting down Bin Laden - counting the paper clips :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-puts-mccain-in-his-cabinet-brilliant-or-foolish-what-if/472807/40 "2008-11-16T02:46:01Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Bill Clinton had a Republican Secretary of Defense. It wouldn’t be unprecedented to have an opposite party member in the Cabinet. It would be a terrible idea for Obama to appoint a Republican to be Secretary of Defense. It would just reinforce the meme that only Republicans are “strong on defense.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-puts-mccain-in-his-cabinet-brilliant-or-foolish-what-if/472807.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-puts-mccain-in-his-cabinet-brilliant-or-foolish-what-if/472807.md?page=3)