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. Full Story »
Posted by Dwight Rousu
Oakes provides some history and context behind the idea of appointing rivals to a presidential cabinet. There is more in the history books than the implied blessing upon the idea based on "what would Lincoln do?" If we do not learn from history, we may be condemned to repeat it. This history lesson helps put the present cabinet selections in a broader perspective.
There is little doubt that Abraham Lincoln was a great president. But not much of what made him great can be discerned in his appointment of a contentious, envious and often dysfunctional collection of prima donnas to his cabinet.
And if the diversity in a cabinet is supposed to present a variety of ideas, why the dearth of liberal proponents?