Back in 1996, one political columnist of the conservative stripe--and unfortunately we can't remember which one--came up with an idea: Bob Dole couldn't possibly out-charisma Bill Clinton, so instead of running against the sitting president, the senator from Kansas should take an unusual step: announce his Cabinet during the campaign.
The theory was that a never-never Bob Dole administration could be competitive against what Bill Clinton had in his Cabinet. (Janet Reno, anyone? Robert Reich? Bill Richardson?)
Bob Dole never took that path. But we would have liked to have seen that campaign. A president's people are his administration.
For some odd reason, as Joe Biden seems to be way ahead in the polls only days before the election, Elizabeth Warren has been heard from. According to a Politico report, she's vying to be the Treasury Secretary. She's telling fellow travelers that she wants the position and will try to convince Joe Biden if he wins next week. According to the report:
"Warren's moves could set up the marquee fight between the party's left and its center over what will be one of the most consequential Cabinet roles in the next administration. The Treasury Department will be tasked with steering the U.S. economy out of a deep recession, even as the country continues to struggle with the coronavirus pandemic."
She could stay in her Senate seat for, well, ever. "But Warren allies say that the job [at Treasury] is appealing because it is a once-in-a lifetime opportunity to enact some of the 'big structural change' she talked about during the presidential primary, rather than just pressuring Cabinet officials from her Senate perch. Much of her life's work has revolved around the intricate rules and levers of power in the executive branch."
This is a woman who campaigned on raising taxes on the wealthy (of course) to create new social programs (of course). She'd also raise the federal minimum wage, provide tuition-free college, cancel student debt, and "study" reparations.
Word around the campfire is that another certain somebody is running for another Cabinet post: Bernie Sanders wants to be Secretary of Labor in a Biden administration. At least the people around him are saying that. A Vermont TV station asked his wife about it the other day, and she wouldn't confirm or deny. You know what that says. The two men running for governor of Vermont are telling the press how they'd select Bernie Sanders' replacement if/when he leaves the Senate.
For the record, and because the primary seems so long ago this pandemic year, Bernie Sanders is in favor of rent control, more taxes, free college, canceled student debt and giving felons the right to vote. But at least he's against charter schools.
None of this is to say that Joe Biden would pick either of these liberal icons for posts in his administration. Just that it's possible. Maybe even probable. And all Americans should know that before the vote on Tuesday.