Would it help Kerry to pick entire admin. before GE?

[Goldom]

Poll question: Would it help Kerry to pick entire admin. before GE?

Bush has got his whole deparment working for his re'election'... Seems to me if Kerry was prepared enough to already have chosen all his people, it would make people look at him as more 'presidential'. (frankly, a spongmonkey looks more presidential than Bush, but you know how people are...)

[phillybri]

1. One school of thought...

...would say this could take some of the heat off Kerry and give the GOPers more targets to shoot at...

Could work...

[mot78]

2. It's appropriate to wait a while

[aquart]

3. Absolutely not.

You're saying he's too weak a candidate to sell without additional free offers.

Huge mistake.

[LandOLincoln]

6. No, we're saying this is an election like no other, and

we need to use every weapon in the arsenal. We simply can't afford to lose this one.

So--everyone knows what they're getting with Bush; time to let the Dems (and those who might be tempted to vote Dem this time) know exactly what they're getting with Kerry.

[wryter2000]

4. Nope

The only conceivable way it could help is if he put together such a stellar list that absolutely everyone could get excited about them. Even people as wonderful as Jimmy Carter would be criticized by the Repugs. He shouldn't be creating distractions from the miserable failure of W*.

[Dookus]

5. Nope

because most of the people who will serve in his administration already have jobs, and can't announce that they'll quit. Hypothetically, say a Senator up for reelection this fall. If he loses, he may get a job in the Kerry admin. If he wins, he won't.

Also, the cabinet has to be approved by the Senate. Some may not be approved. Not likely, but possible.

[sadiesworld]

7. He should start with the VP in the next couple of weeks

and then announce a position or two every month. Keep the momentum and coverage going.

[GainesT1958]

8. Well, maybe not the ENTIRE crew...

But...if he started naming several Cabinet-level department heads, say, AFTER picking his running-mate, IMO that would help him in that it would:

A) Give people a pretty good idea of just what it is he has in mind for the nation, and

B) Give him more "surrogates" to both attack Dub & Co., and to defend his own policy ideas...i.e. spread around the offense...never a bad idea, whether it's in basketball, football, soccer, or politics!:D

AND...

C) Take a good deal of publicity away from Dub during the months leading up to the Dem. Convention. THe "down-side" of the nomination being effectively decided this early is that it has the potential to give Dub a free-and-clear P.R. field for the next four to five months...completely unacceptable to a challenger. This sort of action--one might call it naming a "Team Kerry"--would blunt that considerably.

:kick:

B-)

[IrateCitizen]

9. Utterly ridiculous...

NOBODY ever picks their cabinet prior to being elected. The election itself is enough to worry about w/o vetting cabinet choices as well.

[robcon]

11. I agree. This idea is stupid.

The number of people who will COMMIT to Kerry, while Kerry can only give a conditional commitment (that is, if he wins the election) is small, IMO. Why only select from those few who are willing to commit to 2005-2008 without a firm commitment that Kerry will win?

[JI7]

10. no, bush is an incompetent loser idiot asshole

he had to surround himself with people who knew things because he is an idiot. kerry is running for president and will serve as president unlike bush where there are others controlling him.

[silver state d]

12. other........

a couple very neutral and vary popular non threatening picks might be OK but any mistakes here would be an unnecessary drag on the ticket

[genius]

13. Very bad idea. Bush will run against his choices instead of him

Most of the most qualified people could get nailed on irrelevant issues. Jesse Jackson or Jimmie Carter would make the most effective Secretary of State. But then Bush would campaign against Jackson on fidelity and against Carter on interest rates (two issues that are irrelevant to Secretary of State). If he picked Dean for anything, Bush would campaign against the Dean Scream. The issues and picking the best person for each job would get lost.