# What Cabinet member do you want to be?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cabinet-member-do-you-want-to-be/749869
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [March 22, 2016, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cabinet-member-do-you-want-to-be/749869 "2016-03-22T16:52:25Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)
#### Post date: [March 22, 2016, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cabinet-member-do-you-want-to-be/749869/1 "2016-03-22T16:52:25Z")
A close friend is elected President of the United States. In a blatant act of wild nepotism, they come to you and offer you a Cabinet position, whichever one you want, qualification be damned, and let’s just call it a magical guarantee of Senate approval (or he’s got dirt on every single Senator or whatever). You want the job, it’s yours.
Which seat do you want?
---
### Author:  [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)
#### Post date: [March 22, 2016, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cabinet-member-do-you-want-to-be/749869/2 "2016-03-22T16:56:27Z")
Sec Labor.
---
### Author:  [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)
#### Post date: [March 22, 2016, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cabinet-member-do-you-want-to-be/749869/3 "2016-03-22T16:58:00Z")
Secretary of State. 4th in line for the Presidency.
Plus, travel. And, it’s seldom your fault when things go South.
---
### Author:  [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)
#### Post date: [March 22, 2016, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cabinet-member-do-you-want-to-be/749869/4 "2016-03-22T17:08:39Z")
SecDef, most powerful of them, IMHO.
---
### Author:  [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)
#### Post date: [March 22, 2016, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cabinet-member-do-you-want-to-be/749869/5 "2016-03-22T17:12:00Z")
Labor
I’d like to strengthen OSHA, create new jobs, find ways to get unemployed people working again. Especially help people that lost jobs to overseas competition.
---
### Author:  [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)
#### Post date: [March 22, 2016, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cabinet-member-do-you-want-to-be/749869/6 "2016-03-22T17:17:57Z")
I voted Attorney General, but I’d actually rather be the (non-Cabinet-seated) Solicitor General.
---
### Author:  [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)
#### Post date: [March 22, 2016, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cabinet-member-do-you-want-to-be/749869/7 "2016-03-22T17:31:36Z")
If I had to choose, I’d go with Housing & Urban Development, if only because that’s most likely where I could do the least amount of damage, either by doing absolutely nothing, or conversely, doing… _something_.
But really, I’d probably decline and ask, as long as we’re throwing appointments around, if there was some other cushy position with zero pressure and little to no mass public exposure, like ambassador to the Bahamas.
.
---
### Author:  [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)
#### Post date: [March 22, 2016, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cabinet-member-do-you-want-to-be/749869/8 "2016-03-22T17:31:56Z")
Give me a stylin’ wig and I’ll take over when Ernie is finished.
---
### Author:  [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)
#### Post date: [March 22, 2016, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cabinet-member-do-you-want-to-be/749869/9 "2016-03-22T17:42:42Z")
I can’t vote on my phone, but I’d pick Secretary of Homeland Security so I could change that stupid name. Who the hell used the term “Homeland” before the DHS was created? I just hate that name.
Also I used to do disaster relief as a job, and I’d like to run FEMA. I’d do a heckuva job.
---
### Author:  [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)
#### Post date: [March 22, 2016, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cabinet-member-do-you-want-to-be/749869/10 "2016-03-22T17:52:02Z")
SecDef - I want to rattle some sabers!
---
### Author:  [@Wilson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wilson)
#### Post date: [March 22, 2016, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cabinet-member-do-you-want-to-be/749869/11 "2016-03-22T17:52:55Z")
I picked Interior, but I’d really want the Supreme Court nomination.
---
### Author:  [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)
#### Post date: [March 22, 2016, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cabinet-member-do-you-want-to-be/749869/12 "2016-03-22T19:25:17Z")
Veterans Affairs. I’m pretty good with computers and databases, I would show everyone how to use those tools.
That is, if there isn’t a Secretary Of Puppies And Kitties by the time I’m asked to serve…
---
### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [March 22, 2016, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cabinet-member-do-you-want-to-be/749869/13 "2016-03-22T19:33:47Z")
Which position has the highest take-home pay?
I figure I’m not qualified for any of them, I might as well be paid well.
---
### Author:  [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)
#### Post date: [March 22, 2016, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cabinet-member-do-you-want-to-be/749869/14 "2016-03-22T19:36:10Z")
> [@kayaker](#):
>
> Which position has the highest take-home pay?
>
> I figure I’m not qualified for any of them, I might as well be paid well.
I think they’re all the same–a touch over $200k.
---
### Author:  [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)
#### Post date: [March 22, 2016, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cabinet-member-do-you-want-to-be/749869/15 "2016-03-22T19:36:52Z")
I changed my mind. That vote wasn’t binding, was it?
---
### Author:  [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)
#### Post date: [March 22, 2016, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cabinet-member-do-you-want-to-be/749869/16 "2016-03-22T19:41:44Z")
Too much responsibility for any of 'em. But I voted to hang out at the White House anyway — I’ve always wanted to check out that bowling alley.
---
### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [March 22, 2016, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cabinet-member-do-you-want-to-be/749869/17 "2016-03-22T19:59:05Z")
As SecDef I’d chop military spending by rather healthy percentages, which would promptly get me fired. So let’s go for HomeSec. That way I can kill most of the security theater and concentrate on the real danger areas. After first firing 90% of the bozos that work for me.
---
### Author:  [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)
#### Post date: [March 22, 2016, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cabinet-member-do-you-want-to-be/749869/18 "2016-03-22T20:54:44Z")
Health and Human Services.
I’ve got some changes I want to make to required coverage under the PPACA.
---
### Author:  [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)
#### Post date: [March 22, 2016, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cabinet-member-do-you-want-to-be/749869/19 "2016-03-22T21:22:48Z")
I’ll take State. Why settle for second (…ok…fifth)?
And I’m well qualified; I already know how to build and maintain my own email server.
---
### Author:  [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)
#### Post date: [March 22, 2016, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cabinet-member-do-you-want-to-be/749869/20 "2016-03-22T22:22:02Z")
Why would I want any of those positions? But I still want to hang out at the WH.
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-cabinet-member-do-you-want-to-be/749869.md?page=2)