Clinton as Secretary of State
Posted on November 23, 2008 - Filed Under American Politics | 1 Comment
This by now seems like a done deal, and it strikes me as a very bad one. Perhaps the greatest policy difference between Obama and Clinton during the Democratic primary campaign lay in their ideas about how to conduct foreign policy. Obama essentially took a softer line than Clinton, suggesting that talking to enemies can sometimes be useful, while Clinton adopted the conventional position that the US ought not have diplomatic relations with rogue states until they reform themselves somewhat. So now it appears that Obama has decided that the best person to oversee his foreign policy is his erstwhile rival who vehemently disagreed with him on that very policy.
Even leaving aside all concerns about Bill Clinton’s potential influence, and, in turn, the potential influence of foreign donors to his Clinton Global Initiative foundation, selecting someone who disagrees with your policy to conduct your policy seems like a bad idea.
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I used the word “policy” too much here. It seems like I can’t even write properly anymore…