A “Draft” GOP Shadow Cabinet

Conservative columnist, Cal Thomas, has suggested that the Trump campaign should create a Shadow Cabinet. That is a good idea, but a bit late this close to the election. If Trump loses, he could think about creating a Shadow Cabinet, but requires a bit of imagination and knowledge of public policy that is probably lacking in Trump’s circle of advisors.

There are two ways to do this.  Organize a quasi-official Shadow Cabinet composed of elected members of Congress or an unofficial, conservative, Shadow Cabinet organized by the Heritage Foundation, Cato Institute, Judicial Watch and other public policy organizations.

Here’s a draft “Quasi-Official Shadow Cabinet.”

President                               Newt Gingrich

Secretary of State                John Kasich (R-OH)

Secretary of Treasury          Pat Toomey (R-PA)

Defense                                 Tom Cotton (R-AR)

Attorney General                  Mike Lee (R-UT)

Interior                                    Jim Inhofe (R-OK)

Agriculture                            Joni Ernst (R-IA)

Commerce                             John Thune (R-SD)

Labor                                      Rand Paul (R-KY)

HHS                                       Tim Scott (R-SC)

HUD                                       Richard Shelby (R-AL)

Transportation                      Roy Blunt (R-MO)

Energy                                   John Barrasso (R-WY)

Education                              Marco Rubio (R-FL)

Veterans Administration     Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-WA

Homeland Security              John McCain (R-AZ)

Organizing a Shadow Cabinet requires a “shadow” President and I nominate Newt. His ego makes coffee nervous, but Newt Gingrich would make a good “shadow” President.

For Secretary of State, i suggest we take a close look at the national security views of John Kasich.

Pat Toomey is very good on economic issues and was president of Club for Growth.

Mike Lee is an indefatigable defender of justice and will not politicize the Justice Department.

Jim Inhofe comes from a state with significant natural resources and Joni Ernst likes to castrate pigs.

John Thune has been a disappointment since his election to the Senate, but he should be good on issues affecting Interstate Commerce.

Rand Paul is on the Senate Labor Committee and has some distinct views about collective bargaining.

Marco Rubio is one of the few candidates for President who put forward an education plan and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers sponsored legislation to privatize the Veterans Administration. That’s quite controversial, but why dump Vets on a government agency tasked to provide health services?

John McCain, even if he loses his re-election efforts will always have something good to say about Terrorism.