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We’re Voting for a Team

Voters need to keep in mind that when we head to the election booth on November 5th were voting for a whole team, not just an individual. People who are frustrated, unhappy, or otherwise feel like the system isnt working for them are likely to vote for the candidate who promises to shake things up, get rid of all the elitists, and bring back good times for everyone. Id be tempted to vote for that candidate myself were it not for my understanding that hes prone to erratic behavior and will not have anyone close to him to rein in his wildest impulses. 

Instead of focusing only on the candidates this year, we should think about their staffing agendas. To paraphrase John Donne, no president is an island. Whoever we elect will nominate or appoint a Chief of Staff, Secretaries of the Cabinet, National Security Advisor, White House Counsel, Press Secretary, a variety of Advisors (homeland security, science, climate), Ambassadors, Federal Judges, possibly including Supreme Court Justice nominees, and miscellaneous assistants, aides and all sorts of people to help with important decision making as well as day-to-day routine governing.

Let’s look at what the likely staffing scenarios are for the two leading candidates in this years presidential election. One candidate currently serves with a president who has staffed his departments with career professionals, many if not most of whom have a lifetime of public service experience. These include a Secretary of State with decades of experience, including senior positions in two previous administrations. Another example of professionalism is the U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, a man who has been a Secretary of State, a U.S. senator, and even was once the presidential nominee of a major party. The list is lengthy, but the point is short: One of our current presidential candidates serves with professionals and is almost certainly going to create an equally qualified team.

Now lets look at the other candidate the man who promises to shake things up and make things better for us. His concept of shaking things up is to eliminate most of the governments professionals and replace them with his followers. But which followers will he select? Will they be people who believe in keeping the fundamentals of our democracy intact? Not likely. He has made it clear that he will create a staff of sycophants, none of whom will have sufficient backbone to challenge any future presidential misbehavior. Just look at the types of folks this candidate currently surrounds himself with: An anti-vaxxer with a worm in his brain and a penchant for manhandling the carcasses of both bear and whale; a shape-shifting Vice Presidential running mate who once said that the presidential candidate himself was either a cynical a-hole or America’s Hitler; and an equally inconsistent former U.S. Representative who once referred to the presidential nominee she serves as “Saudi Arabia’s bitch.

As the United States draws close to one of the most contentious presidential elections in our history, we really do need to remember were voting for an entire team. Regardless how appealing an individual candidates message might sound, we have to consider what the overall impact of a candidates staffing choices will have on our well-being and our democracy.

I know who Im voting for. Its the one who wont be surrounded by bootlickers.

Paul Hellweg is a freelance writer and poet. Samples of his writing can be seen at www.PaulHellweg.com and www.VietnamWarPoetry.com

One Comment

  1. Jim Sullivan October 16, 2024

    I had just finished reading a news report about Israel burning Palestinian children alive in its ongoing genocide in Gaza when I received my ballot in the mail. In over thirty years of voting in Washington state I have not cast a single vote for a Republican. I loathe the GOP!

    I did some research and learned that Rep Marilyn Strickland’s largest financial contributor is the pro-Israel group Aipac. Senator Cantwell also takes their money. That, perhaps, is part of the reason why they support this genocide.

    To vote for any Democrat this year would be to make myself as complicit in genocide as Harris, Cantwell, Strickland and every other elected Democrat is. I wrote in none of the above down my entire ballot.

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