On the question of whether Hillary Clinton would be a good Secretary of State, I must say one thing: She’s better than those other guys. Which other guys? Well, consider these advisers Obama kept close during the presidential campaign. Zbigniew Brzezinski—Jimmy Carter’s national security advisor. Robert Malley—who was supposedly fired after he met with Hamas. Samantha Power—who famously made egregious statements about Israel’s actions, yet was only fired after she called Clinton a “monster.” As Eric has noted, Clinton offers a more centrist approach to foreign policy than what one might expect from an Obama administration. Additionally, Clinton—more so, probably, than the others who are being considered for this position—has largely been able to stand opposed to the worst segments of her party, the moveon.org crowd.

It is true, of course, that she lacks the credentials one might expect from a Secretary of State. And, as Justin pointed out, the historical precedent does not suggest that she will be particularly effective. But could she be less effective than, say, Condoleezza Rice, who is an academic expert on Russia? Michael Goldfarb—who I am glad to see has returned to his post at the Weekly Standard’s Blog—raises an important point, which should not be overlooked. Perhaps no one else could more convincingly make the case for military intervention in Iran if it is indeed deemed necessary by this administration.

Clinton would be a fine Secretary of State, and she is likely to be a nuisance to Obama whether she is inside or outside of his administration, but as our top diplomat she could reprise a role that made Powell a kingmaker in this year’s election. And perhaps she could even present the case for war with Iran to an insubordinate United Nations in the event that Obama’s personal diplomacy somehow fails to deter the mullahs from their present course.

Obama’s critics find his foreign policy doctrine to be disturbing. But Clinton has rightfully opposed the president-elect’s most worrisome policy (unconditional talks with Iran). A secretary of state who could stand up to her boss’s worst inclinations is something all of Obama’s critics should be able to support.

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This entry was posted on Monday, November 17th, 2008 at 5:30 PM and is filed under Contentions. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.