Team of Rivals

Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln is a 2005 book written by Pulitzer Prize Award winning author and historian Doris Kearns Goodwin. The book details how Abraham Lincoln, after being elected president, appointed several of his political rivals to his cabinet, thus establishing a "team of rivals."The New York Times: Team of Rivals: Friends of Abe (November 6, 2005)

Even before he had recieved the Democratic nomination, Barack Obama expressed admiration for Goodwin's book and the policies it discussed. In May of 2008, Obama stated that, if elected, he would appoint to his cabinet the "best person for the job," regardless of party affiliation.Political Punch (ABC News): Obama Proposes "Team of Rivals" Cabinet (May 22, 2008) On November 13, 2008, Obama held a meeting with former opponent Hillary Rodham Clinton, during which, according to several Democratic sources, the two seriously discussed the possibility of Clinton becoming the Secretary of State. Obama had reportedly scheduled a meeting with another former political rival, John McCain, for November 17.CNN: Obama discusses top Cabinet post with Richardson, Clinton (November 14, 2008)

"One of my heroes is Abraham Lincoln and a while back there was a wonderful book written by Doris Kearns Goodwin called Team of Rivals which talked about how Lincoln basically pulled in all the people who had been running against him into his cabinet because whatever personal feelings there were, the issue was: How can we get this country through this time of crisis? And I think that has to be the approach that one takes."—Barack ObamaYouTube Video: David Gregory 1600 Penn Ave 11/14/08 Team of Rivals