Comments on: Team of Dysfunctional Rivals http://demockracy.com/team-of-dysfunctional-rivals/ Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:24:57 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: Kevin Van Dyke, Editor http://demockracy.com/team-of-dysfunctional-rivals/comment-page-1/#comment-426 Kevin Van Dyke, Editor Fri, 05 Dec 2008 05:49:52 +0000 http://demockracy.com/?p=2846#comment-426 Nat, No I don't know of any books off the top of my head, although I'm sure there is definitely some literature on the topic. In fact, given the current presidential cycle, I wouldn't be surprised if some historian wasn't currently wrting about this very topic. I'll look into it and post anything I may find. Also, in case you're interested, here's a list of FDR's cabinet members: http://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/fdrcab52.html I find it amazing that 4 or 5 of these people served for over 10 years. Now a days, a cabinet member hardly ever serves more than one term, let alone four. Nat,

No I don’t know of any books off the top of my head, although I’m sure there is definitely some literature on the topic. In fact, given the current presidential cycle, I wouldn’t be surprised if some historian wasn’t currently wrting about this very topic. I’ll look into it and post anything I may find.

Also, in case you’re interested, here’s a list of FDR’s cabinet members:

http://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/fdrcab52.html

I find it amazing that 4 or 5 of these people served for over 10 years. Now a days, a cabinet member hardly ever serves more than one term, let alone four.

]]> By: nat http://demockracy.com/team-of-dysfunctional-rivals/comment-page-1/#comment-424 nat Thu, 04 Dec 2008 16:53:26 +0000 http://demockracy.com/?p=2846#comment-424 K.V.D.-- Just out of idle curiosity, are there any books/literature that compare the cabinets of the commonly rated best and worst presidencies? Also, how much time will elapse before academic historians begin to weigh in on Bush II's presidency? --N. K.V.D.–
Just out of idle curiosity, are there any books/literature that compare the cabinets of the commonly rated best and worst presidencies? Also, how much time will elapse before academic historians begin to weigh in on Bush II’s presidency?
–N.

]]> By: Kevin Van Dyke, Editor http://demockracy.com/team-of-dysfunctional-rivals/comment-page-1/#comment-423 Kevin Van Dyke, Editor Thu, 04 Dec 2008 04:38:29 +0000 http://demockracy.com/?p=2846#comment-423 I'm not sure what Dr. Oakes would recommend. As for myself, I don't think there should be a strict "model" per say. I think FDR's cabinet is probably the closest modern historical example. He had a lot of strong voices in there, but at the end of the day he made the final decisions. In practice, I think Obama is actually modeling himself more after FDR than Lincoln, which I think is a good thing. Of course, there are contextual limitations to this as well. No matter how it looks some days, it's not the 1930's. An interesting caveat to this is that Obama has been recently seen reading books on FDR. Overall, most historians rank Lincoln and FDR as two of the best three presidents ever (if not 1, 2), so it's definitely encouraging that he seems to be a student of both. We just need to make sure that we're all familiar with the real history of these two men, both good and bad.... I’m not sure what Dr. Oakes would recommend. As for myself, I don’t think there should be a strict “model” per say. I think FDR’s cabinet is probably the closest modern historical example. He had a lot of strong voices in there, but at the end of the day he made the final decisions. In practice, I think Obama is actually modeling himself more after FDR than Lincoln, which I think is a good thing. Of course, there are contextual limitations to this as well. No matter how it looks some days, it’s not the 1930’s.

An interesting caveat to this is that Obama has been recently seen reading books on FDR. Overall, most historians rank Lincoln and FDR as two of the best three presidents ever (if not 1, 2), so it’s definitely encouraging that he seems to be a student of both.

We just need to make sure that we’re all familiar with the real history of these two men, both good and bad….

]]> By: nat http://demockracy.com/team-of-dysfunctional-rivals/comment-page-1/#comment-422 nat Thu, 04 Dec 2008 04:05:11 +0000 http://demockracy.com/?p=2846#comment-422 This column does beg the question of just what sort of model the author thinks is best suited for the choosing of a presidential cabinet. (OK, so he rules out the JFK/LBJ and Cheney models, but what model does he think that should be used as a template?) This column does beg the question of just what sort of model the author thinks is best suited for the choosing of a presidential cabinet. (OK, so he rules out the JFK/LBJ and Cheney models, but what model does he think that should be used as a template?)

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