Secretary of State Hillary Clinton?
Hillary Clinton might be a good fit for Secretary of State. Hillary Clinton has some foreign policy experience as Senator and before that First Lady. But there are some factors mitigating against Hillary Clinton being offered the job of Secretary of State or having been offered the job her accepting it.
Senator Hillary Clinton is just sixty one, with the prospect of perhaps twenty or more years in the Senate if she so chooses. She might even become a candidate for President again in 2012 should Barack Obama stumble. The job of Secretary of State is considered the cap of a successful career in public service. It is true that three early Secretaries of State, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe, subsequently become President, but none have in the modern age.
Rumor has had it that Senator Hillary Clinton had been in line for a Barack Obama Supreme Court nomination. A Supreme Court appointment, unlike that of Secretary of State, is a life time job with the prospect of decades of influence. The term of Secretary of State would only run a few years.
Even though she doesn't come from an academic or foreign service background, Hillary Clinton would be a good pick, from a Democratic perspective, as Secretary of State. Barack Obama also may think he will have eliminated a rival for 2012, just in case he should become less popular then than he is now. That may not be the case as there is no barrier, constitutional or otherwise, for a Secretary of State resigning and then running for President.
Barack Obama may also want to consider that Hillary Clinton, still somewhat ambitious, might be a poor fit for a job like Secretary of State that would require her to subordinate her policy preferences to that of the President of the United States. Senator Hillary Clinton attacked Barack Obama for being "naïve" on foreign policy issues. If she believes that would Hillary Clinton be willing to execute that same foreign policy naiveté as Barack Obama's Secretary of State?
The State Department bureaucracy has often served a role of undermining the foreign policy of the President it technically answers to. Bill Gertz, in his latest book The Failure Factory, documents how the State Department bureaucracy, among others, helped to undermine President Bush's War on Terror. Imagine a State Department with a Secretary of State with her own foreign policy ideas following a course independent of that of the President. It would be a prescription for chaos and uncertainty. People are already apprehensive about Barack Obama's tendency to appeasement. Barack Obama does not need even the possibility of a rogue Secretary of State, especially one like Hillary Clinton, who might still want his job.
Sources: Obama considers Hillary Clinton for secretary of state: report, AFP, November 14th, 2008
The Failure Factory, Bill Gertz, Crown Forum, 2008
Published by Mark Whittington
Mark R. Whittington is a writer residing in Houston, Texas. He is the author of The Last Moonwalker, Children of Apollo, Dark Sanction, and Nocturne. He has written numerous articles, some for the Washington... View profile
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14 Comments
Post a CommentDEAR MRS. HILLARY CLINTON, SECRETARY OF STATE;
IF THE ARABS AND OPEC NATIONS DIDN'T HAVE SUCH A STRONG HOLD OVER THE U.S. ECONOMY, WE WOULD HAVE FOUND BIN LADIN BY NOW.
EVEN THE FRIENDLY ARAB'S WON'T GIVE HIM UP.
WE NEED TO MOVE MUCH MUCH QUICKER TOWARDS GREEN TECHNOLOGY AND AWAY FROM OIL.
THEN WITH A STRONG EMBARGO AND OTHER MEANS AT OUR DISPOSAL, WE'LL FIND HIM IN NO TIME.
PLUS, WE HAVE THE ADDED BONUS OF A MORE GREEN HEALTY ENVOIRNMENT.
THE WAY I SEE IT,WE WILL BE KILLING TWO GIANTS WITH ONE SLING OF A SLING SHOT!
(I'm Jewish)
SINCERELY,
DONNA J. DRUCKMAN
5155 EUROPA DRIVE; APT. A
BOYNTON BEACH, FL 33437
keeping fingers crossed for Hillary
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I think Hilary Clinton would make a wonderful Secretary of State. With her background and with her know-how, they would make a terrific team.
I think that allow though she might do a great job, she could be a big problem for Obama. He might have to rope her in a lot because she could have a very hard time being one of Obama's pawns. I think that someone else could do a better job portraying Obama's views and Hillary could still benefit from their relationship through legislative means.
I am completely in favor of that, Carly. Hillary WAS a Goldwater Girl.
Who ever Obama decides to put in the Secretary of State position, will definately know more about foreign affairs than him.
Nice job on this, Mark! I'm a Hilary supporter, but I'm unclear on exactly what the Secretary of State does. Is it solely foreign affairs? I would like her to be a better position to reform healthcare- byt that's not part of the job, is it?
Hi.
As Indian we love to see Indo-American relation should improve.The name senator Clinton is most welcome by every India. ..Good JOB
Hi.
As Indian we love to see Indo-American relation should improve.The name senator Clinton is most welcome by every India. ..Good JOB