by Gary O'Neill

Created on: January 10, 2009

The Secretary of State is the individual delegated the executive responsibility for the nation's conduct of foreign affairs and is considered the most senior cabinet member. Hillary Clinton, a well known public figure over the past 20 years as the Governor's wife, the First Lady and junior Senator from New York is by all accounts a person of intelligencebut she is the wrong person to be Secretary of State in the Obama administration. Thereare several reasons why she isn't the right person to serve the President's cabinet.

First, there is no credible evidence that she has the depth of experience needed to lead the State Department. thus cadre of professional foreign service officers, ambassadors and foreign policy experts has always had the reputation for being chaotically organized, self serving and hard to manage. A complete outsider, with no previous foreign policy experience will be hard pressed to lead this group of professionals across the wide range of international issues: Islamicextremism, piracy, global financial challenges, the emerging power of China and India and the continuing challenges to democracy and freedom in our own hemisphere. Colin Powell, with far more experience in leading a large organization did not fare well as the Secretary of State in this regard. barren Christopher, a career diplomat and lawyer, also did not fare well during the Clinton administration. There is real doubt that Hillary's reported charisma and intelligence will be up to this task.

While Senator Clinton may be a public figure with a strong domestic following, there's very little evidence that leaders around the world value her perspective or leadership in the same way that Margaret Thatcher or Condaleeza Rice gained respect. The Secretary of State is primarily a negotiator for the interests of the nation. Senator Clinton's resume is visibly thin in this regard. Can anyone think of a single success related to her negotiating skills?

There is also little doubt inside or outside the United States that her selection by Obama was primarily an exercise in domestic politics. Giving her this post was a way of reaching out to the millions that supported Senator Clinton during the primary campaigns, and it also isolates her ability to criticize President Obama during his term. Her appointmentalso limits Senator Clinton's ability to gather support for a primary challenge in 2012.With this being the case, the perception inside and outside the nation will be that Senator Clinton is a figurehead and not someone that should be taken as seriously as say, Henry Kissinger or Dean Acheson.

Given their intense political rivalry, it is also very unlikely that there are strong bonds of trust between Obama and Clinton. This lack of trust will result in political intrigue, with the debate within the administration being leaked to the Washington Post and New York Times as the two rivals seek to gain the advantage. The only losers will be the American people as our foreign policy becomes political theater.

Senator Clinton has proven to be a capable Senator and an able ally to her husband while he was President. She appears to be intelligent, hard working and well intentioned. However, she is not the best nominee for Secretary of State in this new administration.

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