The Name Game

With President Elect Joe Biden naming his Coronavirus Advisory Board and now naming Ron Klain as his Chief of Staff, he is focusing in on putting together his cabinet.  Which means it's time for everyone the play the always popular Name His Cabinet game.

I'm not going to play the game.  While there are people I like and would love to see in the cabinet, in most cases there are multiple people for the position.  More to the point, when people play the game, it's usually limited to Famous Name, which leaves out all the countless experts in fields that most of the public doesn't know.

I do have one person and job on my wish list, though.  It's not in the cabinet, however, which is why I feel comfortable jumping in.  Why I like the suggestion is because I don't think the person would want to be in the cabinet, but my suggestion is for a job that would be very high profile, though without the need to run a full staff.  And it would fill in a lot of holes.

What I would love to see is for Joe Biden to name Hillary Clinton the ambassador to the United Nations.  As I said, I don't get the sense that she'd want to cabinet job.  As U.N. Ambassador, there'd be no need to run a full department -- been there, done that.  And you're just carrying out the diplomatic positions of the administration.  But the thing is, over the past four years one of the most dangerous actions Trump has caused has his tearing down of the United States' reputation in the world and particularly among our foreign allies.  As a former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton is not only well-known by all the world leaders, she's highly respected.  Keep in mind that she was named the Most Admired Woman in the World for 17 straight years.  Having her as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations would send a huge signal to the rest of the world that the country is back to normal in its relationships.  And that would be all-the-more reinforced by Joe Biden -- who had been chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and further built his ties to world leaders as Vice President for eight years.-- serving as President.

It would also be a really nice thing to put her back on the world stage after Trump has left it, after perhaps having been screwed out of the presidency by him with the help -- whether directly conspiring with or willingly accepting the separate, but colluded assistance -- of Russia.

The position would require approval of the U.S. Senate.  And while Hillary Clinton is a "controversial" figure to many Republicans, I think she would be approved.  First of all, for all we know Democrats will get control of the body, so approval would not be a problem.  Second, even if Republicans keep control, she would only need two GOP votes to get approved, at most.  Maybe even just one, depending on how the Georgia run-offs go.  While I certainly know it's possible she couldn't get those votes, I also think it's unlikely.  The position of U.N. Ambassador is not one of great authority, not overseeing a department impacting the country.  She also was a fellow-Senator of most of the Republicans currently serving.  And she was a Secretary of State and Democratic nominee for President.  I have to believe she could pick up two Republican votes (or just one, depending).  As a former presidential candidate himself, I'd think Mitt Romney wouldn't want to vote to block her.  And that alone could do it.  But if not, that leaves only one more person.  Lisa Murkowski, perhaps?  Or Susan Collins, now that she's won re-election by convincing Maine how fair-minded she is, and there's no Trump to placate?  And there are several others, I suspect.  So, yes, I think she could could get approved.  To be clear, I am quite certain that the GOP has the level of pettiness in them to block her, but such pettiness would have be put on display in such a public way -- especially when the country just voted for a president who has said he wanted to bring all sides together. So, would this be a battle the Republican Party would want to put their spear in the sand to make?  Over the former Secretary of State and more to be U.N. Ambassador??  

I think she could have the job, if she wanted it.

I don't know whether she wants it.  But that's my only entry into saying who I hope Joe Biden names to his team.  Hillary Clinton as U.N. Ambassador.