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Benefits of having a politically diverse Cabinet

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    Presidential historian Jane Hampton Cook weighs in

  • Duration 5:32
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World's stage snow -- -- human thing.

Will slow corners of this moment now.

Now.

We'll give that man an Oscar wire -- giving twelve that is how many Academy Award nominations.

Stephen Spielberg's Lincoln movie -- today.

A movie that heralds a president who surrounded himself with a cabinet.

Full of rivals and not full of yes meant something maybe this president should consider -- -- -- storage and handed -- says it works for eight.

You know -- it's easy to say -- -- -- -- full of yes men but very rarely are they pull of those who directly challenge -- president.

Or worse advocates of Lincoln's cabinet.

Ran against him for president.

And why is that beneficial to have folks like that and a cabinet.

Well often times begins and very diverse.

And since -- opinions and new Lincoln could drop from very different points of view and really weekend became president when the Republicans were a start up party.

So he needed rivals within his own party -- -- lit up -- his presidency.

And so sometimes and diverse opinion can really give -- president many things to consider and then hopefully make -- best decision.

The long run you know -- this president start -- I thought regardless of your pages of Hillary -- on the right foot by.

Reaching out to a challenger in that case to be it's such a prominent cabinet secretary.

But after that it sort of went by the wayside there are a lot of folks it's -- say some of these latest choices particularly in the treasury -- Derek -- It's sort of -- confirms this business as usual crowd.

Does that -- -- longer run with folks who want to see big changes or could these folks surprises.

Well and I guess me and -- surprise you.

And for people George W.

Bush brought in Paul -- he was favored by Wall Street and Capitol Hill to be as Treasury Secretary.

And then bush later wrote that mr.

O'Neal did not share his enthusiasm for tax cuts.

And it's one thing to say to the -- I disagree with you -- -- and to do it directly.

But don't in O'Neal's case he went around these little -- the president and it got back to bush so it doesn't work that way either he had -- Keep your differences of opinion directly to the president and that's when it works that that.

Asked what it with Lincoln -- course this is now the stuff of the historical war.

And it.

Is it that it would is -- in the OC challenge and he would hear them all out and ultimately.

He would as we saw in that case they're forcing this amendment art of abolishing slavery he would slam it's just on the table let -- be clear role folksy aid could also be.

-- temper -- made is so there is ultimately a place with a buck stops and that is what the president.

But the cavity itself has to inspire does it not I mean.

It did date they have to stand out.

-- for who they are themselves something.

That's right in -- cabinet member is auctioning often positioning himself.

I'm Tim may be running for president so sometimes -- know that rivalry happens in emerges.

But a press is really best served by -- like Ted Sorenson.

He was the anti yes man for Kennedy Kennedy really trusted hand.

And if he needed to hear a difference of opinion he would bring -- speech writer and political advisor Ted Sorensen because he would give him the unvarnished truth.

And Kennedy really appreciated that.

You know I also think would you go outside the Petri dish you can be richly rewarded you know it needn't be necessary a businessman for treasury or.

Or someone who's flawed in the trenches.

To be a Defense Secretary -- this a designated has -- but but it does help.

To have someone who comes in there with some practical knowledge of the field that they're going to be overseeing.

And what worries a lot of folks about Jack -- is his academic credentials notwithstanding.

His Washington experience not -- standing.

He doesn't bring that experience to perhaps -- most important of economic job.

Well it certainly looks like Jack -- getting a promotion and that may be part of you know the issue in the tension and he also read some people the wrong way in Washington I think that's part of -- too he's not the most.

Easy going likable -- -- that that's probably hurting him.

Among those two -- you know I'm comfortable with his nomination.

Do you think got you know they would always say about it John -- Kennedy's cabinet that it was an Ivy League crowd not that that.

Somehow prevented today it takes and some other disasters all but.

But that that that.

The more eclectic -- different and highbrow you get.

The more you try to aim for the cream of the crop.

The better you'll be -- group.

There's something to be said for that bit -- Kennedy brought in Dean Rusk to be secretary of state.

He thought that would bring in some diversity and opinion that he didn't really like -- -- called him the lowest common denominator.

And it is disappointed because it later came out that -- oppose the Bay of Pigs and others within the cabinet just didn't speak up against it in what a difference it could have made if they had the courage to say you know Mr.

President.

We don't think this is a good idea.

And -- sometimes you know that happens to even among the cream of the crop he's got to have cringed and you've got to have smarts he need.

Yeah -- -- what's I don't see you gotta risk losing your job to make a difference in -- on good jobs Jane thank you very much.

Thank you.

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