The Biden Cabinet and Transition Thread (2 Viewers)

[GrandAdmiral]

Ok the rules:

• Your post can only contain one department and guess.
• You may post more than once for different departments.
• Post can contain comments about previous guesses.
• Guesses for one department can be used for other departments.
• Minds can, of course, be changed.

I will kick things off first...

Secretary of State: Susan Rice

This is as clear a choice as there can be. She has all of the credentials and rep to begin healing as relationships with our allies.

 

[DaveXA]

This may be the closest we get to a concession speech.

p.s. I think her point about amending the law, which is likely the right thing to do, is also a "translation: Save me (and those in my position in the future)"

Yeah, that's what I got from it. She means well, but could have written the letter without the bellyaching.

 

[DaveXA]

Do we have to pull for the Rams, though?

I was pulling for the Bucs to lose. So letting the Rams have it for one week, I'll live.

Seeing Brady thow another pick in crunch time made me smile.

 

[SFIDC3]

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Cant miss that!

I 2nd that notion. Office Space is a great, great movie, and I don't even like Aniston

 

[SystemShock]

@zztop @GrandAdmiral

First, I'd say, Biden doesn't need to throw a bone to the "progressives". We are in the mess we are in good part because of the "progressives" who, during the previous election, got all bent out of shape after Sanders lost the DNC nomination, took their ball, went home, then either didn't vote or voted for Jill Stein. So those "progressives" should be glad there will be some semblance of "progress" the next 4 years.

As for Sanders himself... maybe people think it's over, Trump lost, and that's the end of it. But it isn't. Far from it. And the last thing Biden needs to do is bring up the socialist ghost to the forefront of his administration, and give ammunition to the GOP sycophants. And the self-labeled Democratic Socialist Sanders would do just that. Like it or not, even if the majority of people don't even know the meaning of the word, Socialism is a bad word in the U.S. I think the small margins in battleground States for the presidency and down ballot results of this past election reflect that.

Biden himself may be a ghost from the past, but he needs to set things up for the next generation of leaders, and he also needs centrists/moderates to help pull independent/centrist/moderate voters away from the GOP in the next elections (mid-term, 2024).

 

[DaveXA]

Anyone seeing this "presser"? Not sure what to call it, but Biden is introducing nominees for his Cabinet. I like it so far. I never thought of Kerry as a big climate advocate, so idk about his choice. Most of the others seem to be good picks. I feel like this is a pretty competent bunch. Let's hope that prevails when the rubber meets the road.

 

[always4su]

Why no Hunter Biden in his cabinet? He should do it just for the yuks.

Speaking of Hunter, remember the fox news obsession with his laptop in the two weeks leading up to election day (and nothing at all since)?

Well....

 

[GrandAdmiral]

@ zztop @GrandAdmiral

First, I'd say, Biden doesn't need to throw a bone to the "progressives". We are in the mess we are in good part because of the "progressives" who, during the previous election, got all bent out of shape after Sanders lost the DNC nomination, took their ball, went home, then either didn't vote or voted for Jill Stein. So those "progressives" should be glad there will be some semblance of "progress" the next 4 years.

As for Sanders himself... maybe people think it's over, Trump lost, and that's the end of it. But it isn't. Far from it. And the last thing Biden needs to do is bring up the socialist ghost to the forefront of his administration, and give ammunition to the . And the self-labeled Democratic Socialist Sanders would do just that. Like it or not, even if the majority of people don't even know the meaning of the word, Socialism is a bad word in the U.S. I think the small margins in battleground States for the presidency and down ballot results of this past election reflect that.

BIden himself may be a ghost from the past, but he needs to set things up for the next generation of leaders, and he also needs centrists/moderates to help pull independents/centrists/moderate voters away from the GOP in the next elections (mid-term, 2024).

I wholeheartedly disagree. Biden's administration needs to be diverse. If the rumors are true that he intends on having Republicans in the administration and not have a progressive, that's an insult and the party shouldn't be surprised to have an all-out revolt on its hands at some point leading into the mid-terms.

Putting a progressive in the administration doesn't change Biden's agenda in any way.

 

[SystemShock]

I wholeheartedly disagree. Biden's administration needs to be diverse. If the rumors are true that he intends on having Republicans in the administration and not have a progressive, that's an insult and the party shouldn't be surprised to have an all-out revolt on its hands at some point leading into the mid-terms.

Putting a progressive in the administration doesn't change Biden's agenda in any way.

First, you are going to have to define a "progressive".

I think the down ballot results clearly show half of the voting country don't want to hear "Socialism" or the championing of causes that only affect a small portion of the population. That is not going to change with Biden selecting nothing but "progressives" to his cabinet; on the contrary, it is going to entrench the other side even more.

If you wholeheartedly disagree that Trumpism is over, then may as well end the conversation right here, and hope you don't have high expectations for midterms and 2024.

 

[Dragon]

@zztop @GrandAdmiral

Like it or not, even if the majority of people don't even know the meaning of the word, Socialism is a bad word in the U.S. I think the small margins in battleground States for the presidency and down ballot results of this past election reflect that.

Biden himself may be a ghost from the past, but he needs to set things up for the next generation of leaders, and he also needs centrists/moderates to help pull independent/centrist/moderate voters away from the GOP in the next elections (mid-term, 2024).

Anything could improve the life of the majority of the people in the country is labled "socialism", "communistic" or similar terms and effectively prevents progress when it comes to healthcare, education and equal rights and efficiently shuts down any suggestions of progress in these areas. Even though a huge number of those who voted for Trump would be far better off if a lot of those "social democratic policies" were implemented they just see "the big communistic boogie monster"

That is actually one of the very genial strategies of the conservative right - grouping everything from "social democracy" to Stalinism into one.

 

[SystemShock]

Anything could improve the life of the majority of the people in the country is labled "socialism", "communistic" or similar terms and effectively prevents progress when it comes to healthcare, education and equal rights and efficiently shuts down any suggestions of progress in these areas. Even though a huge number of those who voted for Trump would be far better off if a lot of those "social democratic policies" were implemented they just see "the big communistic boogie monster"

That is actually one of the very genial strategies of the conservative right - grouping everything from "social democracy" to Stalinism into one.

Exactly. And you (the generic "you") are not going to change minds on the other side by throwing Socialism pies at voters' faces. You need new faces, new strategies, and these strategies need to bring about change gradually.

 

[GrandAdmiral]

If you wholeheartedly disagree that Trumpism is over, then may as well end the conversation right here, and hope you don't have high expectations for midterms and 2024.

Not at all. Unfortunately, we're likely dealing with this mess a while.

As far as the Cabinet, I never said that the Cabinet needed to be smothered with progressives. He does, however, need to recognize the part they played in him getting elected, especially if he's considering adding a Republican to the administration.

 

[DaveXA]

Not at all. Unfortunately, we're likely dealing with this mess a while.

As far as the Cabinet, I never said that the Cabinet needed to be smothered with progressives. He does, however, need to recognize the part they played in him getting elected, especially if he's considering adding a Republican to the administration.

Honestly, I think the Progressives in Congress will have more impact on real policy from the Capitol than from Biden's cabinet. A progressive in the cabinet will get lost in the weeds. Congressmen/women have plenty more visibility on Capitol Hill. I mean really, we're all pretty much on a first name basis with the 4 on "The Squad". Name someone on the Cabinet with that kind of visibility outside maybe the AG or head of one of the three letter agencies.

Now some may have a direct impact on being an agency head, but those can often be little more than symbolic figurehead positions while the career execs do the lion's share of the work. Just something to consider.

 

[coldseat]

Not at all. Unfortunately, we're likely dealing with this mess a while.

As far as the Cabinet, I never said that the Cabinet needed to be smothered with progressives. He does, however, need to recognize the part they played in him getting elected, especially if he's considering adding a Republican to the administration.

I agree. While Biden's strategy in putting together his cabinet doesn't need to be pushing hard progressives. It also doesn't need to be blocking progressives out of power and putting them in their place. That's not a winning strategy either. Progressiveness should be allowed to expand and flourish where it fits within the direction he wants to take the country. And I think he'll do that.

And while the Dems and Biden have the bully pulpit, they can work on introducing more incremental progressive ideas into the platform and educating and explaining them in a way that is more palatable (without caving) to moderates and conservatives as we move forward. If that's even possible.

While this may frustrate progressives, it is also a way to progress. We only need to point to the ACA for an example. While it was initially ushered into law weaker than it was originally conceived, was made even weaker by Republican attempts to overturn it, and the Democrats suffered politically for putting it into law, it still endured. It endured because it was better than what we had before even though it fell far short of what was hoped for. But now, Biden and his administration, with the support of the majority of American voters, are now in position to improve greatly upon the scope and functioning of the law and to introduce a public option with everything that's been learned from having the ACA for the last 10 years.

If Biden and his administration can accomplish that, once the public option is established and functions as hoped, it will give Americans even further confidence in a government administered health insurance and likely push us towards a medicare-for-all type single payer system with time.

 

[SystemShock]

Not at all. Unfortunately, we're likely dealing with this mess a while.

As far as the Cabinet, I never said that the Cabinet needed to be smothered with progressives. He does, however, need to recognize the part they played in him getting elected, especially if he's considering adding a Republican to the administration.

... and "progressives" need to recognize why is Biden in the position where he is considering a Republican to the administration.

 

[GrandAdmiral]

... and "progressives" need to recognize why is Biden in the position where he is considering a Republican to the administration.

Don't agree. Republicans didn't get Biden elected. But I'm not looking to rehash that argument.

 

[superchuck500]

Spite is a shirtty way to run the government.

 

[GrandAdmiral]

Spite is a shirtty way to run the government.

forked up.

 

[DaveXA]

forked up.

While yeah, that's forked up, Congress needs to enact a new stimulus bill anyway. That would essentially fold the Cares money into the new package and add more money to it. It's just not gonna happen until the new Congress is in session. The smart thing to do is to go ahead and send that money to people who really need assistance. But eh, who in DC does the smart thing anymore?