Secretary of State Hillary Clinton?

According to Obama aides, Hillary Clinton is going to be selected as Obama's Secretary of State. Let's get one thing straight: I think Hillary Clinton is great. I've been to a rally of hers, and I would have been happy with either Clinton or Obama as president. I admire Obama's pledge to make a Lincoln-esque cabinet full of both friends and rivals. But I'm wondering if Clinton should be the new Secretary of State.

As you may know, the Secretary of State is the head of foreign policy. And if you had watched the primary debates and speeches, foreign policy is one of the few things that Obama and Clinton did not agree on. Obama was elected under a promise to talk with our enemies, compromise in order to progress, and promote a better image of America on the world stage. But Hillary Clinton, aside from all of her virtues, is not a compromiser. We saw this when she refused to drop out of the race, potentially hurting Obama in the general election. Her health care plan as First Lady never worked because she would not budge on her points. She voted “yes” to give Bush the power to invade Iraq. As Secretary of State, will she carry out the goals of Obama, or will she go contrary to his messages of understanding and compromise?

In respect to Obama's selection of rivals rather than yes-men, I think that it applies to most but not all cabinet positions. Should Obama really want someone who disagrees with him to be representing the United States to the world? Most of the other jobs are more about decision-making rather than representation, such as the Secretary of Education or Labor. Obama could easily override their decisions if he felt they would hurt the country. But the Secretary of State meets with representatives of other nations, and could hurt our image with her uncompromising and strong personality. Maybe she will be a good Secretary of State, as she will have to stay in Obama's favor in order to keep from being dismissed. Hopefully she will serve the country, not her own political aspirations.

My best wishes go out to Hillary Clinton, and I hope that Obama is making the right choice. But I suppose we will see next year whether Clinton will serve Obama or follow her own view of how foreign policy should be carried out.

What do you think of Obama's newest pick? Feel free to leave a comment or email me.