No "Individual" is Owed a Cabinet Post, but...

[Truth2Tell]

Maybe no "individual" is owed an Obama cabinet post, but... certain constituencies do deserve consideration - particularly if he ran for President by making particular promises or outlining particular priorities - which he did.

I start with the proposition that a long list of highly qualified candidates can be made for every cabinet post. Certainly a baseline level of professionalism, knowledge, experience and competence is called for. No Brownies need apply. But within that range there are certainly more than a few who qualify. And from that group it is OK - in fact it is imperative - that other factors be applied. Two examples:

1. Philosophy/Ideology - if Obama ran on a platform of cleaning up the environment then it stands to reason that he choose a Secretary of Interior who believes the environment needs to be cleaned up. If he ran on a platform of re-visiting NAFTA and other trade deals with an eye for labor, the environment and social justice, then it stands to reason that he appoint a Commerce Secretary who opposes open-ended, condition-free trade agreements. Etc etc etc.

2. Loyalty/Reliability. As an employer I've learned from experience that it's often better to hire employees with less knowledge of the particulars of the job, but whom I can be sure will arrive at work and follow direction, rather than the opposite. This is not to say that Obama should follow the Bush model of patronage, but simply acknowledge that accomplishing goals does indeed require loyal, trustworthy and committed troops.

President Obama is about to undertake a reformation of American political orthodoxy on our behalf. So I disagree with the proposition that his cabinet appointments should depend exclusively on resume, or simple measures of professional competence. Rather, he should prioritize choosing a team that shares his values, believes in his agenda, represents his constituents and is ready to loyally fight on behalf of the new paradigm he has promised us.