Who could serve as caretaker president with bipartisan support?

[Simfan34]

Assume a hypothetical scenario in which the Presidency was to devolve upon a caretaker for a period of, say, two years. Who could potentially fill this role with the support of a majority of both parties?

The obvious choices are generals, but that is limited. Colin Powell is by now probably too old. David Petraeus would be a leading contender if not for that pesky scandal. Supreme Court justices likewise retire at too old an age to have much chance. The prevalence of politically-appointed ambassadorships means top diplomats are too little-known.

[LLR]

Merrick Garland

[Stm85]

I think that given the current polarization of our politics, it would have to be a military figure. I'd suggest Mike Mullen, who was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under both W and Obama. He is 70, the same age as Trump, and was apparently vetted for VP by Bloomberg back when he was considering an independent bid for President.

[Kingpoleon]

James Stavridis?

[Pericles]

John Roberts.

No.

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

Colin Powell and Anthony Kennedy are probably a bit too old, unfortunately.

[Devout Centrist]

Robert Gates

[sentinel]

Robert Gates

and Colin Powell despite age.

[Cynthia]

JBE?

[Mike67]

Mitt Romney or John McCain

[Blackacre]

Justice Anthony Kennedy? Whoever the Secretary of State is? Senator Angus King?

[Kingpoleon]

I suspect the easiest thing would be a joint rule by: Jim Justice, Charlie Baker, James Stavridis, Phil Scott, and Kyrsten Sinema.

[Gass3268]

Joe Biden

[Maxwell]

Joe Biden

[White Trash]

Joe Biden

[Simfan34]

If Louise Mensch is right (a very, very big "if"), this question is worth repeating.

Bob Gates?

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

If Louise Mensch is right (a very, very big "if"), this question is worth repeating.

Bob Gates?

Isn't she the one who quit the British Parliament to run a fashion blog?

[Simfan34]

Yes. A very big if-- almost absurdly so. Really, I just wanted an excuse to bump the thread.

[Simfan34]

So I bothered to make an entire hypothetical caretaker cabinet. As technocratic and corporate as you'd expect it to be, although I feel there ought to be a few more academics and a few less CEOs in this. I'm unsure whether to swap Sandberg (who I'm not at all crazy about) and Whitman:

Acting President: Robert M. Gates (R->I)
Acting Vice President: Sheryl Sandberg (D->I)

Secretary of State: Jon M. Huntsman Jr. (R)/Richard N. Haass (R->I)
Secretary of Defense: James Mattis (I)*
Secretary of the Treasury: Laurence D. Fink (D)
Attorney-General: Rod Rosenstein (I)**
Secretary of Commerce: Kenneth Chenault (D)
Secretary of Education: Michelle Rhee (D)
Secretary of Energy: Ash Carter (D)
Secretary of the Interior: Peter Fitzgerald (R)
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: Patricia Harris (I?)
Secretary of Health and Human Services: Olympia Snowe (R->I)
Secretary of Transportation: Elaine Chao (R)*
Secretary of Veterans Affairs: Sloan D. Gibson (I?)
Secretary of Agriculture: Rosalind G. Brewer (I?)
Secretary of Labor: Gordon H. Smith (R)
Secretary of Homeland Security: John F. Kelly (I)*

Ambassador to the United Nations: Meghan O'Sullivan (I?)
National Security Adviser: (Lt. Gen.) H.R. McMaster (I)*
Director of National Intelligence: John O. Brennan (I)
Director of the National Economic Council:  Meg Whitman (R->I)

*remaining in office (if not already dismissed)
**conditional on performance as Deputy AG

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Pat Harris is a bit old isn't she?

[Mister Mets]

James Mattis.

[LabourJersey]

So I bothered to make an entire hypothetical caretaker cabinet. As technocratic and corporate as you'd expect it to be, although I feel there ought to be a few more academics and a few less CEOs in this. I'm unsure whether to swap Sandberg (who I'm not at all crazy about) and Whitman:

Acting President: Robert M. Gates (R->I)
Acting Vice President: Sheryl Sandberg (D->I)

Secretary of State: Jon M. Huntsman Jr. (R)/Richard N. Haass (R->I)
Secretary of Defense: James Mattis (I)*
Secretary of the Treasury: Laurence D. Fink (D)
Attorney-General: Rod Rosenstein (I)**
Secretary of Commerce: Kenneth Chenault (D)
Secretary of Education: Michelle Rhee (D)
Secretary of Energy: Ash Carter (D)
Secretary of the Interior: Peter Fitzgerald (R)
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: Patricia Harris (I?)
Secretary of Health and Human Services: Olympia Snowe (R->I)
Secretary of Transportation: Elaine Chao (R)*
Secretary of Veterans Affairs: Sloan D. Gibson (I?)
Secretary of Agriculture: Rosalind G. Brewer (I?)
Secretary of Labor: Gordon H. Smith (R)
Secretary of Homeland Security: John F. Kelly (I)*

Ambassador to the United Nations: Meghan O'Sullivan (I?)
National Security Adviser: (Lt. Gen.) H.R. McMaster (I)*
Director of National Intelligence: John O. Brennan (I)
Director of the National Economic Council:  Meg Whitman (R->I)

*remaining in office (if not already dismissed)
**conditional on performance as Deputy AG

This seems like a cabinet that would really only be supported by professional Moderates (TM), and probably no one else. Why would Liberals want McMaster, Rosenstein and Huntsman in this? And does anyone actually care about Sheryl Sandberg?

If the lids actually blows off on the Russian connections, I think the caretaker would have to be someone who is already in the line of succession but not controversial. Sonny Perdue is the only one I can think of--two term governor, probably the most harmless member of the cabinet.

[Kamala]

So I bothered to make an entire hypothetical caretaker cabinet. As technocratic and corporate as you'd expect it to be, although I feel there ought to be a few more academics and a few less CEOs in this. I'm unsure whether to swap Sandberg (who I'm not at all crazy about) and Whitman:

Acting President: Robert M. Gates (R->I)
Acting Vice President: Sheryl Sandberg (D->I)

Secretary of State: Jon M. Huntsman Jr. (R)/Richard N. Haass (R->I)
Secretary of Defense: James Mattis (I)*
Secretary of the Treasury: Laurence D. Fink (D)
Attorney-General: Rod Rosenstein (I)**
Secretary of Commerce: Kenneth Chenault (D)
Secretary of Education: Michelle Rhee (D)
Secretary of Energy: Ash Carter (D)
Secretary of the Interior: Peter Fitzgerald (R)
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: Patricia Harris (I?)
Secretary of Health and Human Services: Olympia Snowe (R->I)
Secretary of Transportation: Elaine Chao (R)*
Secretary of Veterans Affairs: Sloan D. Gibson (I?)
Secretary of Agriculture: Rosalind G. Brewer (I?)
Secretary of Labor: Gordon H. Smith (R)
Secretary of Homeland Security: John F. Kelly (I)*

Ambassador to the United Nations: Meghan O'Sullivan (I?)
National Security Adviser: (Lt. Gen.) H.R. McMaster (I)*
Director of National Intelligence: John O. Brennan (I)
Director of the National Economic Council:  Meg Whitman (R->I)

*remaining in office (if not already dismissed)
**conditional on performance as Deputy AG

This seems like a cabinet that would really only be supported by professional Moderates (TM), and probably no one else. Why would Liberals want McMaster, Rosenstein and Huntsman in this? And does anyone actually care about Sheryl Sandberg?

If the lids actually blows off on the Russian connections, I think the caretaker would have to be someone who is already in the line of succession but not controversial. Sonny Perdue is the only one I can think of--two term governor, probably the most harmless member of the cabinet.

I think David Shulkin is even less controversial and actually well-liked by both sides.

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

Why not Cher? She's always been very uncontroversial.

[LabourJersey]

So I bothered to make an entire hypothetical caretaker cabinet. As technocratic and corporate as you'd expect it to be, although I feel there ought to be a few more academics and a few less CEOs in this. I'm unsure whether to swap Sandberg (who I'm not at all crazy about) and Whitman:

Acting President: Robert M. Gates (R->I)
Acting Vice President: Sheryl Sandberg (D->I)

Secretary of State: Jon M. Huntsman Jr. (R)/Richard N. Haass (R->I)
Secretary of Defense: James Mattis (I)*
Secretary of the Treasury: Laurence D. Fink (D)
Attorney-General: Rod Rosenstein (I)**
Secretary of Commerce: Kenneth Chenault (D)
Secretary of Education: Michelle Rhee (D)
Secretary of Energy: Ash Carter (D)
Secretary of the Interior: Peter Fitzgerald (R)
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: Patricia Harris (I?)
Secretary of Health and Human Services: Olympia Snowe (R->I)
Secretary of Transportation: Elaine Chao (R)*
Secretary of Veterans Affairs: Sloan D. Gibson (I?)
Secretary of Agriculture: Rosalind G. Brewer (I?)
Secretary of Labor: Gordon H. Smith (R)
Secretary of Homeland Security: John F. Kelly (I)*

Ambassador to the United Nations: Meghan O'Sullivan (I?)
National Security Adviser: (Lt. Gen.) H.R. McMaster (I)*
Director of National Intelligence: John O. Brennan (I)
Director of the National Economic Council:  Meg Whitman (R->I)

*remaining in office (if not already dismissed)
**conditional on performance as Deputy AG

This seems like a cabinet that would really only be supported by professional Moderates (TM), and probably no one else. Why would Liberals want McMaster, Rosenstein and Huntsman in this? And does anyone actually care about Sheryl Sandberg?

If the lids actually blows off on the Russian connections, I think the caretaker would have to be someone who is already in the line of succession but not controversial. Sonny Perdue is the only one I can think of--two term governor, probably the most harmless member of the cabinet.

I think David Shulkin is even less controversial and actually well-liked by both sides.

Shulkin also works--I just initially thought Perdue has a more conventional resume for POTUS and would be more easily accepted, though Shulkin would be more acceptable to the average leftist.