Noted access-seeker and Axios founder Mike Allen has released Clinton’s so-called “ghost cabinet,” the individuals her campaign likely would have nominated to fill key administration roles.
Here’s the list courtesy of Axios Presented By The Bank Of America, which I have decided will be its full name from now on:
This list contains no surprises, which is exactly why it’s so troubling. Politico initially reported in October that Clinton was considering Sheryl Sandberg for Treasury secretary. Progressives opposed that at the time, and for good reason: Sandberg’s only qualifications for that position are that she is wealthy and friendly with Clinton. Those two characteristics, wealth and loyalty, constitute the same low standard Donald Trump has applied to his own cabinet nominees. See also: Howard Schultz (of Starbucks) for labor secretary and Anna Wintour (of Vogue) for ambassador to the U.K. And then there’s Cory Booker, who has been criticized by progressives for his ties to Wall Street and his support for school vouchers—a position he shares with Trump education secretary nominee Betsy DeVos.
If Allen’s list is accurate, Clinton viewed the presidency as an opportunity to empower her wealthy, centrist allies. There’s no evidence at all, in fact, that she learned anything from the anti-establishment sentiment that propelled Bernie Sanders’s popular challenge to her candidacy.