Sanjay Gupta: From talking head to...official talking head

Posted at 4:18 PM on January 6, 2009 by Jeff Horwich (5 Comments)

Gupta for Surgeon General...or so says the Washington Post.

It's a bold move, and maybe a worthy precedent. Here are some other ideas for remaining Obama administration posts:

Jack Bauer: National Intelligence Director

Ryan Seacrest: Director of the NEA

Sam Waterston: Solicitor General

Sergeant Slaughter: Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Sharon Osborne: Secretary of American Talent (new cabinet post)

In all truth, he's probably as well qualified as anyone for what is largely a P.R. job. And he's a legit neurosurgeon, apparently.

But it's still funny. And it might be a little tougher to make the jump to public figure after CNN has given him the Anderson-Cooper-treatment. (Gupta image from CNN - I added the seal.)

Any other ideas for folks who could make the leap from the small screen to the halls of actual power?

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Comments (5)

Jeff, you are just showing your age (or I am showing mine.)

Sanjay Gupta didn't start at CNN -- he started in the Clinton administration as special advisor to Hilary Clinton -- for the Health Care initiatives -- remember?

CNN has a habit of picking up old politicians as commentators.

Had he not joined CNN, he would still be on the list for surgeon general.

Posted by Preston | January 6, 2009 7:24 PM

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"Had he not joined CNN, he would still be on the list for surgeon general."

Seriously doubt that.

Gupta (who is 39 now) served as a "White House Fellow" (along with 14 others) in 1997, when he was in his late 20s, working mostly with the First Lady (on health policy). And if the press weren't reminding us of that now, I really doubt any of us would have remembered his name from those glory days. I don't think he was a big player.

But like I said, the Surgeon General is primarily a communicator. So Gupta might well be the right guy for the job.

Posted by Jeff Horwich | January 7, 2009 9:40 AM

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I'm smiling because you are proving my point. I didn't get this information from a blog or some news source yesterday -- I remembered it.

I also remember when CNN hired him and paraded him around as Hillary's advisor -- they had no other justification for hiring him because he had no journalist credentials.

Now, he has made another name for himself, and yes, I can imagine that if you only associate him with "House Call", it must seem funny.

Posted by Preston | January 7, 2009 10:26 AM

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Preston, you have a good memory!

Either that, or you were also a White House Health Policy Fellow in 1997.

Posted by Jeff Horwich | January 7, 2009 11:59 AM

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Secretary of Energy ~ Jack Lalanne (of Jack Lalanne's Power Juicer...anyone who has seen Mr. Lalanne's late-night infomercials can attest to his limitless energy!)


Secretary of Justice ~ Position will be jointly held by the entire cast of Night Court.


Secretary of Treasury ~ Suze Orman. 'Nuff said.


"Secretary" ~ Maggie Gyllenhaal. How hot would that be?


Also, Agents Mulder and Scully will run the FBI. Duh.

Posted by Alex Franzen | January 8, 2009 1:19 PM

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