Cecilia Rouse, Avril Haines, Alejandro Mayorkas, Adewale “Wally” Adeyemo, Carlos Elizondo and Gen. Lloyd Austin. These are just some of President-elect Biden’s early Cabinet selections.
Unless you’re a political junky, you can now forget their names.
They differ in many ways from President Donald Trump’s Cabinet, mostly because they will return to normal professional practices. None will be appointed because they have voiced favorable opinions of the president on his favorite television network.
You can be assured that none of them will have a history of stating they want to dismantle the department that they have been selected to lead. It’s doubtful any will be described as a sycophant.
Yes, most have gone to elite colleges and universities and acquired knowledge beneficial to their upcoming duties. They have probably worked most of their careers in their field of expertise and have been appointed to a Cabinet office that aligns with that knowledge.
Most, if not all, will be acquainted with the details of their new job and know the experts in their field.
You can be secure in the knowledge that they were not appointed because of a huge financial contribution to the Biden campaign. Perhaps one or two may become controversial and a source of open conflict, but I doubt it.
They will not sit for cameras, in a cringe worthy display of their fealty to the president or adoringly share how fortunate they are to serve under his extraordinary leadership. They may even have the audacity to present information, usually in private, that runs contrary to President Biden’s views.
As a citizen you have a number of options in dealing with these public servants. You can follow their work, criticize or praise them.
You can go about your business and not attend to their political activities, although in the extreme, that always has dangers. You can expect to have few, if any, political arguments about most of them.
You can also expect that each one, with their experience and background, is likely to serve during a significant portion if not the entirety of Biden’s first term.
You are unlikely to hear of personal behind-the-scenes fighting, although you will hear some. You are unlikely to hear words like “incompetent, stupid and dumb” spoken by the president in reference to any of them. You will hear significantly more praise of each Cabinet member at the end of his or her tenure, thanking them for their professionalism.
As always, you will eventually be able to read about some of their behind-the-scenes experiences in the books they will eventually write. But these are likely to be far fewer in number and far less tabloid-like than those written in the current administration. The books are likely to be policy driven discussions.
There will be some details of infighting and disputes over directions to take. For most of you, these everyday disputes will not be of interest. They certainly will not warrant frequent headlines in the national media.
None of the Cabinet members or their staff members, upon leaving the administration, is likely to lead a political anti-Biden organization or commit to making sure that the president is not re-elected. It’s always possible, but given the long history of politics, it has not happened, save one.
For those of you who are political junkies, there will be much activity and material to discuss in the coming months. Rest assured, however, that chaos among the Cabinet members is unlikely to be a place to look. For those who wish a little less political noise in your life, enjoy.
