I don't know whether to believe the news reports that Barack Obama has offered Hillary Clinton the position of Secretary of State, but, if it is true, it is a dreadful mistake.
Lets be clear about this. Barack Obama is very inexperienced, and nowhere more than in foreign policy. This might (or might not) disqualify him to be President, but at the least it suggests that he should surround himself with people who have expertise about these matters. This seems simple and undeniable.
But Hillary Clinton does not have foreign policy expertise, as the Obama people themselves argued during the Democratic primaries. It would be a big mistake to have two inexperienced people running the foreign affairs of the country.
Bill Clinton was President for 8 years, and many Democrats gained foreign policy experience during that time. I am sure there are several people who would be suitable for the job.
Update: I see that Eric Posner closely mirrors this post on Clinton as Secretary of State.
If she were Secretary of State, where would she come in the line of succession if some Arkansas agent assassinated Obama?
Posted by: dearieme | November 16, 2008 at 06:16 AM
Mike - With Hillary there, policy is likely to be much better than with an "expert" like Susan Rice; at least she will feel a need to pursue policies supported by the American people. That said, I think Obama's foreign policy will be disastrous regardless of who is Secretary of State. If so, it's best to have the Democrats' political leadership front and center taking responsibility.
Posted by: pj | November 16, 2008 at 09:25 AM
if Hillary becomes the Sec. State, hopefully she will be able to concentrate on country-centric issues without being distracted by other drama or her career plans
Posted by: patrick | November 20, 2008 at 09:50 AM