August 2006 Weddings
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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
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Need opinions: McCain as Obama's DoD Sec
Agree or disagree: It would be a good idea, if Obama won, to appoint McCain as Secretary of Defense.
Please provide explanation for your answer, and I promise to explain where this came from in awhile (as well as my own thoughts).
Re: Need opinions: McCain as Obama's DoD Sec
The fact that they have very different philosophies makes this impossible in my mind.
Also, McCain would tell him to fuckoff.
"As of page 2 this might be the most boring argument ever. It's making me long for Rape Day." - Mouse
Hmmmm.....
I'd like the opportunity to ponder this one a bit longer, but wanted you to know I saw the thread I found it an interesting question.
Adam & Shoshie 10-21-07: "My family is big and loud and everybody's in each other's lives and business. ... but wherever I go, they will always be there." * My Blog: Tales of a Hopeful Jewish Mom to Be *
Ditto. Their approach are too different for them to be able to work together and McCain does not strike me as a willing DoD after suffering a campaign loss.
Adam & Shoshie 10-21-07: "My family is big and loud and everybody's in each other's lives and business. ... but wherever I go, they will always be there." * My Blog: Tales of a Hopeful Jewish Mom to Be *
I don't know all the options for these positions so I don't know if he's the best person for the job or not, but it smacks of unnecessary bipartisanship in the vein of "see how above the fray I am by appointing my former rival?" I'm not interesting in making a candidate/politician look good. I care about having the best person for the job. McCain has been right on defense things but I'm not jumping to conclusions that that makes him the best person for the job.
I thought the same thing when McCain named Buffet for the Sec of the Treasury. Is he really the best person for the job? I don't know but my gut reaction was that the only reason to name an Obama supporter is that you want to look all transcendent and party-neutral.
Why do you need opinions? Are you advising Obama now?
I say no. McCain is not suitable for Secretary of Anything; he's not a yes man and is inclined to do his own thing, which would be dangerous for Obama.
There are better alternatives: Jim Webb, who has already served as Secretary of the Navy (albeit brief). Colin Powell, but I have no idea where he is in life right now, but the whole world loves him, he'd be a great PR move. I could also see a former Iraq commander who was disgraced out of the Bush administration for their criticism whose name currently escapes me (but it's not Zinni or Abazaid). I can't imagine someone from an AF or Navy background (e.g., Wesley Clark) being appointed to DOD Secretary when the people dying are Marines and Soldiers. I think keeping Gates, with his penchant for talking up the bad news with the good, would be an interesting move, that I think I'd like to see.
I don't see the need to avoid those who agree when your views are correct.
But seriously, I don't think there's ever anything wrong with choosing someone a great bit more prudent and less war mongery.
I also think there's a difference between two men like Obama and Biden, for example, who are on the same side of the aisle and can also have disagreements, and Obama and McCain, who rarely agree on anything. Also different are Bush and his flunkies. Those are yes men, and they lack differentiated thoughts.
Disagree.
They have way too many fundamental differences in their foreign policy. McCain would want to stay in Iraq, Obama wants out, McCain woudlnt want to talk to foreign leaders we dont like, Obama would ect ect ect ect ect.
I think he can find someone that challenges him but still agrees with his fundamentals.
But I think a Cabinet position is to be exactly that-a critical thinker, yes, but first a foremost a yes man. To be otherwise undermines an administration and the policies they want to pursue. For instance, if Bush enacted a sweeping Energy policy (which he did), would it be right for the DoD Secretary to not follow that policy? I would think certainly not, and could cause expulsion from the position or at least engender severe distrust in the Cabinet.
Someone suggested this to me, and I couldn't articulate very well why I thought it was a bad idea, so I was looking for other thoughts on the issue.
My thoughts: I completely agree that yes men are bad, but I think that two polar opposite philosophies would be a swing too far in the opposite direction. I forget who mentioned it, but it's like Obama and Biden - they don't agree on everything, but their overall philosophies and goals align. I'd think of a "yes" man as someone who would change their positions to align with that of their boss, not just someone who generally agrees with them.
Also, I could swear that the Sec of D has historically been civillian, not ret. military, but the only place I remember hearing this is in HS in class.
Absolutely not and it has nothing to do with their differing philosophies.
The world hates us right now. The Bush Administration has ruined our standing in the world. Appointing a Republican to a position like that would not help us improve our image around the world.
I'm all for bipartisanship cabinet positions, but don't let republicans be our face to the world. Give them Commerce or something. Not State or Defense.