# Why so few Cabinet officials for President? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 6, 2015, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-so-few-cabinet-officials-for-president/733680 "2015-10-06T03:08:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2015, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-so-few-cabinet-officials-for-president/733680/21 "2015-10-14T16:50:28Z")
On the substance of things, I think most cabinets do contain potential Presidents. In the Obama administration, Tom Vilsack and John Kerry are both Presidential material, although their window closed years ago. But they could both govern if they had to. ---
**Author:** ![Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/do_not_taunt/32/2968_2.png) [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Do_Not_Taunt)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2015, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-so-few-cabinet-officials-for-president/733680/22 "2015-10-14T18:52:01Z")
Actually, all of his Secretaries of State are presidential material. Can’t remember offhand who the other one was, though. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-so-few-cabinet-officials-for-president/733680/23 "2015-10-15T03:25:52Z")
Most SecStates are unless they were born outside the US. ---
**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:** [October 15, 2015, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-so-few-cabinet-officials-for-president/733680/24 "2015-10-15T04:15:47Z")
I think Safire was speaking more prospectively - that is, every Cabinet should have at least one person whom you could imagine becoming President someday. Right now, that _might_ include Thomas Perez (Labor), Julian Castro (HUD) and Anthony Foxx (Transportation). YMMV. > **[Cabinet of the United States](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabinet_of_the_United_States#Cabinet)** > > The Cabinet of the United States is a body consisting of the vice president of the United States and the heads of the executive branch's departments in the federal government of the United States. It is the principal official advisory body to the president of the United States. The president chairs the meetings but is not formally a member of the Cabinet. The heads of departments, appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate, are members of the Cabinet, and acting department heads ... ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-so-few-cabinet-officials-for-president/733680/25 "2015-10-15T05:16:37Z")
The last two Secretaries of State have been failed Presidential Candidate sitting Senators. The several before that, technocrats. For the last few decade service in the Cabinet of the US has been for technocrats or politicians for whom further elective office has been out of reach. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-so-few-cabinet-officials-for-president/733680/26 "2015-10-15T05:18:30Z")
Perez is too controversial, Castro can’t win statewide in Texas(winning statewide is generally a prerequisite to becoming President). Foxx though, is definitely a prospect. But like Castro, he needs to win statewide office in NC. Given how bad the Democrats’ bench is in that state and how NC is fond of Senate turnover, Foxx could actually win a Senate seat there. Or perhaps run for governor. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-so-few-cabinet-officials-for-president/733680/27 "2015-10-15T14:25:43Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > The last two Secretaries of State have been failed Presidential Candidate sitting Senators. The several before that, technocrats. > > For the last few decade service in the Cabinet of the US has been for technocrats or politicians for whom further elective office has been out of reach. Well before that, there’s been precedent for the office being a sort of consolation prize for unsuccessful presidential candidates (Henry Clay, William Seward). ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-so-few-cabinet-officials-for-president/733680/28 "2015-10-15T19:42:08Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > I think Safire was speaking more prospectively - that is, every Cabinet should have at least one person whom you could imagine becoming President someday. Just one?!? That really is a difference then between the two systems. Usually I can see at least half a dozen on the front bench on the government side as potential PMs. And not just someday, but tomorrow, if the PM keels over. They’re not on the front bench because someone handed it to them. They’re there because they’ve fought long and hard to get there, driven by ambition and ability. _And_ because they’ve demonstrated their abilities on the hustings, winning elections. _And_ because they’ve got the executive wherewithal to be trusted with a major department by the PM, who’s assessed them as being capable. _And_ the ability to hold their own in the debates and QP in the Commons, defending themselves and the government. _And_ (probably the most important) they’ve got the self-confidence and ambition to see themselves as PM. They wouldn’t be on the front bench without all that. Being an MP and a senior Cabinet minister is a grueling job. The weak flame out or quit. The strong jostle for position for the inevitable day when the Prime Minister retires or is defeated in an election, and someone new is needed. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-so-few-cabinet-officials-for-president/733680/29 "2015-10-15T19:57:40Z")
Just by way of comparison, how many of the current Secretaries in Obama’s cabinet have held major elective office? (Let’s define it as Senate, House of Representatives, Governor or other state-wide elective office.) I know Kerry has, but I don’t know the composition of Cabinet well enough to hazard a guess for anyone else. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-so-few-cabinet-officials-for-president/733680/30 "2015-10-15T20:52:18Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Just by way of comparison, how many of the current Secretaries in Obama’s cabinet have held major elective office? > > (Let’s define it as Senate, House of Representatives, Governor or other state-wide elective office.) > > I know Kerry has, but I don’t know the composition of Cabinet well enough to hazard a guess for anyone else. The current Obama Cabinet seems pretty unusual for having so few politicians. I think Vilsack, Castro (if you include Mayor of San Antonio as a “major political office”) and Kerry are the only three. (plus Biden, if you want to count the VP). The rest are technocrats/business leaders. ---
**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:** [October 15, 2015, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-so-few-cabinet-officials-for-president/733680/31 "2015-10-15T21:03:22Z")
Foxx was previously mayor of Charlotte, N.C. (pop. 2.3 million in 2014), too. Otherwise you’re right. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-so-few-cabinet-officials-for-president/733680/32 "2015-10-15T21:38:06Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Foxx was previously mayor of Charlotte, N.C. (pop. 2.3 million in 2014), too. Otherwise you’re right. Well, that is larger than several of our provinces, so your standard of a major electoral position may be a bit different from ours. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2015, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-so-few-cabinet-officials-for-president/733680/33 "2015-10-21T19:11:50Z")
Nobody seems to have noticed, but former IRS Commissioner (it’s not a Cabinet post, but close enough) [Mark Everson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Everson) is running for the GOP nomination on an… [interesting platform](https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/mark4america/pages/24/attachments/original/1425358796/Letter_to_America.pdf?1425358796). He’s a technocrat who talks like an old-school populist. ---
**Author:** ![Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/do_not_taunt/32/2968_2.png) [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Do_Not_Taunt)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2015, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-so-few-cabinet-officials-for-president/733680/34 "2015-10-21T20:34:15Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Well, that is larger than several of our provinces, so your standard of a major electoral position may be a bit different from ours. 😉 Well, Charlotte’s population is only 810,000, which I assume is still larger than several of your provinces. The mayor doesn’t have much say over the 'burbs. ---
**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:** [October 22, 2015, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-so-few-cabinet-officials-for-president/733680/35 "2015-10-22T04:29:27Z")
> [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](#): > > Well, Charlotte’s population is only 810,000, which I assume is still larger than several of your provinces. The mayor doesn’t have much say over the 'burbs. Ah, yes, thanks. I had only seen the higher number for the metropolitan area, not the lower one for the population within city limits. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-so-few-cabinet-officials-for-president/733680.md?page=1)