Joe Biden cabinet speculation megathread

[President Johnson]

I doubt Liz would give up her senate seat, let alone offered Treasury. She's more effective in the senate.

Mayor Pete as UN Ambassador, Mike Bloomberg as World Bank president and Rice/Kerry involved would be a massive FF move!

[President Johnson]

Honestly I feel like no CEO or anyone with corporate ties should be anywhere near consideration for a cabinet position.

Depends on which CEO. A greedy employee-abusing guy? Of course not. A compassionate, competent and pragmatic leader who knows how to effectively run an organization and to get things done? Yeah! Political experts are important, but I think some cabinet jobs or other high positions should be filled with people who have practical expertise in the field. Business credentials can be helpful in running agencies, especially those related the economic and financial issues. Armed services members/veterans are good for defense-related stuff, just as a Secretary of Education with actual classroom experience makes sense. Governments in general need more experts rather than political hacks.

[President Johnson]

Honestly I feel like no CEO or anyone with corporate ties should be anywhere near consideration for a cabinet position.

Depends on which CEO. A greedy employee-abusing guy? Of course not. A compassionate, competent and pragmatic leader who knows how to effectively run an organization and to get things done? Yeah! Political experts are important, but I think some cabinet jobs or other high positions should be filled with people who have practical expertise in the field. Business credentials can be helpful in running agencies, especially those related the economic and financial issues. Armed services members/veterans are good for defense-related stuff, just as a Secretary of Education with actual classroom experience makes sense. Governments in general need more experts rather than political hacks.

I guess, although I feel most CEOs are more likely to be greedy dirtbags. I just don’t like the outsized influence money has on politics. I mean our President is a businessman. My republican family members are like “he’s a businessman he knows how to run an economy” even now.

"The president" is not a businessman. He's a showman who pretends to be a businessman. Most things he has done have failed, let alone moral issues and how he has defrauded businesspartners. This is certainly not a role model here. There are others, even rich ones, who have built a company from the stretch and have done a lot of good for society.

As an example, I think Melinda Gates is an interesting figure for some government role. Another less known one: Mike Rawlings, who endorsed Joe early on, was Mayor of Dallas after he served as CEO of Pizza Hut. He's also engaged in various efforts against domestic violence. With his business and government expertise, I think he'd be a good choice for a number of cabinet jobs. Just to mention two names out of many.

[President Johnson]

With Susan Rice at State, he would have another black woman in the thrid-highest position of the cabinet. And then a black woman to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg. This is amazing. I also hope and am very optimistic, Mayor Pete will get a major job like the ones mentioned. He's a talented guy with great potential.

I'd actually be fine with Liz Warren as Treasury Secretary; she'll do a good job at going after corruption and tax reform (though I hope the deficit will be addressed). I'm just not sure whether she actually wants the job rather than staying in the senate. She's in a safe seat and could stay how long she wants.

I also hope Doug Jones will get the Justice Department. He is too good of a man to return to private life should he lose. I also want Andrew Cuomo in a role, preferably Chief of Staff.

[President Johnson]

With Susan Rice at State, he would have another black woman in the thrid-highest position of the cabinet. And then a black woman to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg. This is amazing. I also hope and am very optimistic, Mayor Pete will get a major job like the ones mentioned. He's a talented guy with great potential.

I'd actually be fine with Liz Warren as Treasury Secretary; she'll do a good job at going after corruption and tax reform (though I hope the deficit will be addressed). I'm just not sure whether she actually wants the job rather than staying in the senate. She's in a safe seat and could stay how long she wants.

I also hope Doug Jones will get the Justice Department. He is too good of a man to return to private life should he lose. I also want Andrew Cuomo in a role, preferably Chief of Staff.

Cuomo is going for the fourth term as governor without a doubt.

Still hope he goes to Washington. He'd do a great job there and New York could finally have a female governor.

[President Johnson]

I might add that we could see a number of Deputy Secretaries under Obama to take over an agency. On Treasury, Sarah Bloom Raskin is an option. If Susan Rice gets trouble with senate confirmation, I could see her return to her old post of National Security Adviser, which doesn't require senate approval, and have Tony Blinken as reserve pick for State. He's advising the Biden campaign already and was number two to John Kerry in the Obama years. He seems close with Bidenworld and with Kerry.

Richard Nixon came to office in 1969 with Democrats controlling the Senate by a wide margin.  It would never have occurred to any member of that majority to not vote in favor of confirmation of all his initial cabinet nominees.

1969 was a completely different era. Bipartisanship and polarization was non existent, not to mention both parties had much wider tents. Back then you had conservative Democrats and Liberal Republicans. You didn’t really need majority to get things done.

Yeah, this even applies to Poppy Bush, who came in in 1989 with a Democratic senate. It's notworthy though that his preferred Defense Secretary, former Texas senator John Tower, was rejected by a 47-53 vote. Bush then chose Dick Cheney to head the Pentagon.

[President Johnson]

Good move. Some sane Republicans would be an addition to the cabinet. Especially John Kasich, Charlie Dent and Charlie Baker would be excellent. I'd love to have Arnold involved, but doubt he's interested in any official role.

Jeff Flake is still a very conservative guy, but I would offer him an ambassadorship abroad of his choice. I think he's a good person and was treated very unfairly by Trump.

[President Johnson]

I think, aside from Trump, there are always reports of candidates adding opposing party members to their cabinets. Didn't Obama also look at Republicans for his cabinet?

My point is, it rarely happens.

Obama had two in his initial cabinet, Robert Gates and Ray LaHood, and then added two others later: Chuck Hagel as Gates' replacement at defense and Robert MacDonald at Veteran's Affairs.

I recall there being whispers after the 2012 election that he considered Romney for the Commerce Department

Was there ever a losing presidential nominee who served under the president who defeated him? Franklin Roosevelt appointed Frank Knox, the 1936 vice presidential nominee, Secretary of the Navy during World War II. Wendell Willkie after the 1940 election also took informal roles as "Ambassador at large", but these are the only ones I can think of.