This would be a big letdown for me. Senator Clinton lost a lot of credibility when she talked about coming under sniper fire in Bosnia when the video clearly demonstrated a well-secured, peaceful, and well-orchestrated diplomatic greeting. I think she lost a lot of credbility with the world, too, because that particular lie was about a diplomatic visit to another country. I also do not think she is a particulary temperate or subtle politician, and diplomacy requires a better feel for nuance and more patience than she has ever demonstrated in her career.
So I'd be opposed to the idea of seeing her as Secretary of State. There are lots and lots of good Democrats out there who could be outstanding diplomats. People were talking about John Kerry, and that wouldn't bug me nearly as much as Hillary Clinton. And I wouldn't necessarily mind seeing Senator Clinton take a different sort of position in the Obama Administration, either. She might even make a good Attorney General, although I have difficulty seeing that move go down smoothly and Obama seems to be putting a premium on smooth.
But not as Secretary of State. Yet those are the rumors. The two of them met in Obama's Chicago office yesterday, adding fuel to that fire.
She'd be *perfect* for Attorney General.
ReplyDeleteAt the same time, I'm not sure I see her accepting any position within the Obama administration. I think she'd see it as a demotion. She'd have taken VP, but not that that's gone, she probably wouldn't look kindly on any other offer. She wants to be president, and even SOS isn't really a stepping stone to that.