About Hillary as Sec of State

[Prophet 451]

I'd prefer it if Hillary wasn't made Sec of State. This is not because I think she'd be bad at it. On the contrary, I think she'd be very good. This is because I think she'd be better and do more good as Sec of Education (where she has a long-standing interest) or Sec of Health (personally, I felt her healthcare plan was superior to Obama's).

Let's be honest though, she would do well in virtually any position and Obama is going to do what he wants to do. The sky will not fall if he does or doesn't offer Hillary the SoS position, the world will keep turning.

[tomreedtoon]

1. I think she'd be better at State for one reason:

If she got involved in domestic affairs, like Education or HEW, the old criticisms would boil up again. At State, with her representing the United States to all those people out there who hate us, she might keep us alive a little longer.

In addition, I think she'd represent two firsts: the first female Secretary of State, and (this is the part where my history is shaky, but I think it's true) the first time a President has appointed someone whom he contended with in the primaries to a cabinet post. Both would send a clear signal that this is a very different America engaging the world.

[Prophet 451]

2. Hmm, good points

I think there have been other presidents who appointed primary rivals but not in a long time.

[WhollyHeretic]

3. We've got a female SoS right now. Plus Madeiline Albright for 4 years.

[Taverner]

9. Was just gonna say...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madeleine_Albright

[shadowknows69]

5. If he made her Sec. of Doing absolutely nothing they'll still find a way to attack her

On that argument it might be better she stays a powerful Senator. I'm not opposed to Hillary in Obama's cabinet but I'm not happy at all about the leaky way this is coming to light. The media is trying to fan old fires, the GOP is jumping all over it as a good idea which scares the shit out of a lot of us Dems and they know it, and frankly there are better people suited to the job that apparently want it. I think she would be so much more effective in another post and there's a lot at stake right not. Not for nothing but other people in the world remember shit like "Obliterate Iran" and telling lies about sniper fire even if we kiss and make up back here. We need someone with impeccable quality AND reputation to be our voice to the world right now.

[tavalon]

6. You think the most watertight campaign in history has suddenly sprung leaks?

Think about it. Some of these are test balloons, some are softening the opposition and some are just people conjecturing about things they know nothing about because the Obama transition team is not going to be leaking any more than the campaign was.

[Ichingcarpenter]

7. Yikes! "the first female Secretary of State" ??? Rice and Albright?

Come on, lets not make up stuff.

[shadowknows69]

8. Or at least read a newspaper from the last 4 years

[tomreedtoon]

14. I work in TV. They forbid us from reading newspapers.

Although I have been known to take sneak looks at the CVS and Walgreen's ads. :)

Seriously, as I mentioned in another post, I never thought of Rice as a woman, or for that matter a creature born in this solar system.

[tomreedtoon]

13. Hey, that's why I post this for critique.

I forgot both of them. And frankly, thinking of Rice as a woman was shoved way back into a dusty corner of my mind. But thanks for the correction.

[MiniMe]

12. Ummm, not the first female SOS. Madeline Albright and Condi

[WillieW]

15. If she become secretary of state, there got to be an agreement that Bill will not get involved

[judy]

4. I am trying to get used to the idea

But to me, Hillary as Secretary of State is a horrible choice. I voted for Obama in the primaries, mainly because I was appalled at her hawkishness and irresponsible statements on foreign policy, ("If Iran attacks Israel, we'll obliterate them").
To me, foreign policy is the area where I disagree with Obama the most. I think his views on Afghanistan and his hook line and sinker acceptance of the "War on Terror" are his weakness in my view. Hillary as Secretary of State would only feed fuel to the fire.
Never have we needed more someone who can think out of the box in foreign policy and establish a new international strategy of "peace mongering". Obama had hired Samantha Power whom I think is quite brilliant to be his advisor, but he fired her because she said "Hillary was a monster".
While I think Samantha shouldn't have said that during the campaign, or in public (it was in the UK) I kind of see what she meant. Hillary is a war monger. Enough of that, already.

Now, as Rachel Maddow would say, feel free to talk me down, as I am very worried about this appointment...

[Taverner]

10. My thoughts...

Hillary Clinton was a protege of Madeline Albright. Now despite Albright's more corporate tendencies, she was an EXCELLENT SoS. She was always 'diplomacy first', and Clinton definitely has the same belief.

So I support Hillary for SoS.

[TahitiNut]

11. Just the "leak" has all the melodrama addicts in a tizzy.

I'd rather not upstage the Obama administration with the "Perils of Pauline" running daily in every media venue and blog. It'd inundate DU. How many times must we hear about landings under sniper fire, really?