Posted on 11/20/2008 7:31:51 PM PST by Free ThinkerNY
Inspired by the wisdom of Abraham Lincoln, President-elect Barack Obama is considering appointing a "team of rivals" to his cabinet - if rumors about the nomination of Hillary Clinton to be secretary of state are true. But there's more mythology than history in the idea that Lincoln showed exceptional political skill in offering cabinet positions to the men he had beaten in the race for the 1860 Republican nomination.
For one thing, there was nothing new in what Lincoln did. By tradition, presidents-elect reserved a cabinet position, often secretary of state, for the leading rival in their party. John Quincy Adams inaugurated the practice by appointing one of his presidential rivals, Henry Clay, to that post. It was a controversial move in 1824; enemies of Adams denounced the appointment as a corrupt bargain.
By the 1850s, the practice had become a tradition. In that decade, Presidents Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce and James Buchanan installed in their cabinets men who had been major rivals for their party's nomination. Daniel Webster, who lost the Whig Party nod in 1848, became Fillmore's secretary of state. William Marcy, after failing to win the 1852 Democratic nomination, took the same position in Pierce's cabinet. Lewis Cass, the Democratic nominee in 1848 and a man whose presidential dreams never diminished, was appointed Buchanan's secretary of state in 1857.
These were not notably successful administrations. Most historians agree that Pierce and Buchanan rank among the worst presidents in American history. There was nothing particularly unusual, or even impressive, when Lincoln followed this well-established practice.
(Excerpt) Read more at iht.com ...
Mind you, the guy really hasn't ever done anything in life, he just shows up, gets accolades, and moves on. But I guess he's definitely one of the greatest humans the world has ever seen. Gag.
he should be reading books on Management 101 instead of Doris Goodwin. And he loves to pick Senators instead of people who actually know how to run things.
Assembling a team of rivals was Hitler’s tactic.
It’s not so much a “team of rivals” as a “team of bozos”.
I call a “federally funded comedy troupe.”
FWIW...IMHO...his Cabinet looks like Hillary’s...and in fact, it may well be!!! IF he’s not got a valid BC....I suspect they will allow him to be inaugurated, then turn the press loose on him...he resigns in 3 months...JB is Pres...picks HRC as VP...steps down after 2 years allowing HRC a 10year reign.....
It's like buying a new car and then going to a tire shop and taking off the new tires and putting on recaps.
Team of Retreads. LOL.
I wonder who will be the token homosexual in the cabinet. Given the identity politics he practices, he almost certainly will nominate one, or two.
Obama has a Team of Re-Treds
Bingo! Our Governor, Janet Napolitano. I am wondering if she will take her “lady-friend” with her to DC or leave her here. I have heard she gave her some kind of job here, don’t know what it is or her name.
I am hoping he takes her to DC. A Republican will be in line for her job. That makes me think she won’d get the job. They don’t want to give up a governorship to the R’s.
If he turns into a Stalin he will want to kill all rivals. What better way to keep track of them? He even knows everything about any guns they might own.
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