What do you think of this Clark shadow cabinet?

[WillyBrandt]

Suppose Clark wins the nomination. What do you think of the idea of him setting up the following shadow cabinet, so he's got a team of warrior on his side attacking Bush? Set this up right away after getting the nom, set up messages, and let them out on the prowl.

President - Wesley Clark
Vice-President - Howard Dean
Attorney General - John Edwards
Secretary of State - Richard Holbrooke
UN Ambassador - Carol Mosely Braun
Secretary of Treasury - Paul Krugman

I can't think of any for SecDef, and I'm sure I'm missing many more...

[AP]

1. A 'shadow' cabinet is the out-of-power party's members who are designated

as experts on the cabinet positions, and, presumably, would be appointed in those positions if their party won election.

Why would Clark have a cabinet and then a shadow cabinet?

[WillyBrandt]

2. Yes, I know we do not have a Westminster system of government

Thank you very much.

It was a useful shorthand for a group of people who would be thrown into power were Clark to be elected. There isn't a proper correlate in the American usage, so I offer my humble apologies for appropriating the British term.

[AP]

3. Furthermore, does anyone ever remember a president selecting his cabinet

from the people he beat to reach the presidency. Just by virtue of the fact that these people are running AGAINST each other suggests they're from different camps and teams.

You have three primary opponents in that cabinet. It would be highly unlikely if any of these candidates appointed ONE of their opponents to anything other than an ambassadorship in a far off country.

Incidentally, I bet Holbrooke is on the very short list of any candidtate other than Kerry and Clark for VP.

[WillyBrandt]

4. There is little presedence, and that's why I thought it an

interesting question. By doing something unusual and by picking a team in advance, he not only speeds things up once in power, but essntially constructs a campaign team of powerful personalities that he can use on the trail. Disclosure: I first read about this idea at Altercation.

Moreover, I think you overstate the power of intra-party enmity. As much as mud has flung, it has thus far been relatively clean, and doesn't preclude this from occuring. Remember: in the far nastier Bush-Reagan race, Reagan picked up Bush as his VP.

As to Holbrooke, I deeply doubt he'll be VP. As far as I know, he's not a hobnobbing politician. I do think he's at the top of everyone's list for Secretary of State.

[Frances]

5. Ronald Reagan and George Bush Sr. ran against each

other in the primaries.

I think the best way for the eventual nominee to keep up interest in his campaign into November would be to choose one of the other candidates for his running mate. That way the workers and organization of the running mate would already be in place and the workers would not be disheartened and just stay at home on election day.

[laura888]

6. yeah! Krugman for Treasury!

he's the greatest!

[notadmblnd]

7. you forgot one...

...and press secretary Al Sharpton

[WillyBrandt]

8. Absolutely!