A Unity Ticket?

Over at Evangelical Outpost, Joe Carter is discussing Kerry's attempts to woo McCain. Most of the comments section rejects the notion as impractical. For a unity ticket to work, its actually got to be a unity ticket, not just window dressing. Cabinet appointments must either cross the political spectrum or concentrate on the center right and center left, draw from both parties, and generally reach deeply into both parties.

Consider the following scenario. After 9-11, the administration, which had already hung on to several Clinton appointees, including Clark, consults with top Democrats like Lieberman, Biden, Breaux, and others to fill out vacant spots in the administration. In December, when Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neal leaves, a fiscally conservative Democrat is selected. A "Scoop Jackson" Democrat is selected to head up Homeland Security. Before the primary pre-season begins, Bush reaches out to Lieberman and plans are made to run a Bush-Lieberman ticket of national unity. The Democrats run some anti-war candidates, but a lot of Dems support the unity ticket. This would increase the 1864 parallels.

Would such a scenario have been better? Who knows, but as far as viable unity tickets are concerned, they require this level of bipartisanship.