Friday, November 21, 2008
2008 She Said No and Then Yes
Posted by Eli Sanders on Fri, Nov 21, 2008 at 9:38 AM
Hillary Clinton, apparently with some ambivalence, is going to be Barack Obama's Secretary of State. (According to Politico.)
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3
Fuck I hope he changes his mind. Her in that position is good domestic politics but terrible international relations. She's needed in the Senate - yeah, she may be a thorn in his side there sometimes, but so what?
5
But what freaks me out a little is that this may be a sign that there's really nobody better available, which makes me think the bench is pretty thin.
6
Calculating. Always calculating. Hillary wants to sit in the Big Chair. Nothing else.
A cabinet seat ... a bit of a lateral move. No.
But 4th in the line of succession. Yes.
Campaigning as a Senator, no problem, but
campaigning against my boss as Sec of State? No.
I'll be close enough to stab him in the back myself. Yes! Yes! Yes!
A cabinet seat ... a bit of a lateral move. No.
But 4th in the line of succession. Yes.
Campaigning as a Senator, no problem, but
campaigning against my boss as Sec of State? No.
I'll be close enough to stab him in the back myself. Yes! Yes! Yes!
7
no i'm even less hopeful that any of our persistent international stupidities (cuba, iraq, iran, israel, russia, north korea, venezuela) will end under obama. SHE THINKS LIKE A NEOCON.
8
I think Obama pretty much had to offer her some sort of cabinet position. Or something. He may be a very popular president (elect), but she remains one of the most powerful democrats around. And she and Bill did actively campaign to get Obama elected when she could have easily sat back and do nothing to help.
I'm just not sure Sec of State is the best place for her.
I'm just not sure Sec of State is the best place for her.
9
Actually SoS may be the absolute BEST position for Obama to have placed her. It takes her out of the Senate (where she won't now have the chance to be that "thorn in his side"), and it will keep her out of the country a good deal of the time, which means she'll be in less of a position to try to wedge herself into parts of his domestic agenda.
As the agent of Obama's foreign policy doctrine, she'll be on something of a short-leash; perhaps trying to drive her own agenda in private, but obligated to publicly subscribe to whatever policies Obama and his other advisors dictate. She'll have a voice of course, but it will be one among many.
Plus, let's not forget, the Clintons are still wildly popular in other parts of the world, particularly Europe, so this appointment will go a long way toward smoothing the rather bumpy relations we've had with our allies over the past eight years.
Finally, it will provide Clinton with an opportunity to develop true foreign policy creds over however long she deigns to serve; something that could come in VERY handy come the 2016 election cycle.
In one fell stroke Obama has not only negated Clinton as a potential obstacle to his own agenda, but in a very real sense paved the way for Hillary to once again be a major candidate, perhaps even the de-facto front-runner, in eight years' time.
All-in-all, I'd say pretty smart move on Obama's part.
As the agent of Obama's foreign policy doctrine, she'll be on something of a short-leash; perhaps trying to drive her own agenda in private, but obligated to publicly subscribe to whatever policies Obama and his other advisors dictate. She'll have a voice of course, but it will be one among many.
Plus, let's not forget, the Clintons are still wildly popular in other parts of the world, particularly Europe, so this appointment will go a long way toward smoothing the rather bumpy relations we've had with our allies over the past eight years.
Finally, it will provide Clinton with an opportunity to develop true foreign policy creds over however long she deigns to serve; something that could come in VERY handy come the 2016 election cycle.
In one fell stroke Obama has not only negated Clinton as a potential obstacle to his own agenda, but in a very real sense paved the way for Hillary to once again be a major candidate, perhaps even the de-facto front-runner, in eight years' time.
All-in-all, I'd say pretty smart move on Obama's part.
10
Everything Obama has done since the election increases my confidence in him. This is no exception. He is bringing everyone into the big tent.
11
I think she has the potential to be a great Secretary of State but I understand those that have the opinion that she could overshadow Obama's administration. I think they underestimate Barack.
14
eh...
I can see why she's ambivalent. Politically speaking, SoS hasn't been important to your career since James Monroe.
and 2016? She'll be 69. I think the US is sick of old people running for president.
I can see why she's ambivalent. Politically speaking, SoS hasn't been important to your career since James Monroe.
and 2016? She'll be 69. I think the US is sick of old people running for president.
15
I like her but I'm ambivalent and I don't know why. I guess I don't want anything Bill might do that would undermine either her or Obama. You know the right wing is going to be trailing Bill to see what he does.
16
Possibly @14, but everyone here will also be 8 years older - and from 56, 69 doesn't look that bad...
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