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No one asked for it, but the Washington Post has given us a list of Trump’s cabinet and cabinet-level nominees and decided which ones it approves of and which ones it thinks are garbage.
Ifyouthoughtitwouldtrashthemall,youwerewrong.Butdon’tgetexcited.WaPo’scommentaryonTrump’scabinetconfirmationsisamasterclassinthinlyveileddisdainwrappedintheperceptionoffairness.Inatransparentefforttoappearfairandbalanced,theleftistpaperonlyvoicedobjectionstofournominees(twocabinetsecretariesandtwocabinet-levelofficials)whilesignalingbegrudgingapprovalfortherest.
Itsreasoning?Trumpwontheelection,sohedeservesthechancetobuildhisteam—unless,ofcourse,anomineeisglaringlyunqualifiedinWaPo’seyes.Butlet’snotkidourselves:theselukewarmendorsementsreekofresignation,notgenuinesupport.ThePostknowstheseconfirmationsarelargelyaforegoneconclusion,soinsteadoftakingaprincipledstandagainstallofthenomineesitdislikes,it’splayingalong,objectingtojustenoughtomaintaintheappearanceofimpartialityandputtingitsthumbonthescaleofth
