Just over 100 days ago, Barack Obama was sworn in as president. As was expected, his opening act has focused heavily on the economy. Judging his performance thus far, pundits and analysts will be most focused on his road to financial recovery. A less prominent, though no less important, aspect of his presidency has been his approach to foreign policy and the role of his once bitter rival, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Shortly after Obama’s election, most were unsurprised to see him extend a hand to Clinton; the position offered, however, was a bit more unexpected. While Clinton had extensive knowledge of foreign policy, it was also the issue on which she and Obama had some of the most publicized differences of opinion during the Democratic primary. It was clear that Clinton’s approach to international affairs was more hawkish. And, of course, she had more experience than her opponent. So how has President Obama’s foreign policy agenda been faring under Secretary Clinton? Surprisingly well.
Clinton has largely been able to set aside personal stances to serve her boss, without losing her enthusiasm or charisma. She has faithfully adhered to Obama’s agenda of creating big-tent foreign appeal among friend and foe alike. Concurrently, she has used her own star power to take an innovative approach to international relations, for example, by appearing on a pop television show in Indonesia and holding town hall-style meetings with college students in South Korea, Japan and elsewhere. Naturally, her efforts have also been served by Obama’s own enormous popularity up to this point.
Much of the reason for Clinton’s success thus far is the deep-felt agreement she and Obama hold on the damage wrought by the Bush administration. Both concur that for far too long, U.S. foreign policy has been characterized by imperial hubris, to borrow a phrase from Michael Scheuer. President Bush saw the United States as the infallible role model and was not afraid to flaunt that image abroad — a view that resulted in extensive ostracism.
Secretary Clinton has taken a different tack, one based much more on respect, not to mention realism. Clinton is restoring good diplomatic practices that went ignored under the America-can-do-no-evil Bush administration: by recognizing that Americans’ “insatiable demand for illegal drugs fuels the drug trade,” by admitting the failure of the American embargo on Cuba, by recognizing that the alienation of Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez and Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has not “been in America’s interest,” by setting a one-year timetable to close Guantanamo Bay and by making it clear to Israel that American support is not unconditional.
The world has long viewed the United States as a tyrant, able to say and do what it wants because of its position of strength. President Obama and Secretary Clinton recognize that America’s superpower status, and thus its ability to dictate foreign affairs, is declining. But more importantly, they mutually recognize the power of respectful relations. The recognition that American policies can sometimes be misguided is not an unforgivable sign of weakness. Rather, it is a show of strength. World leaders, but especially their citizens, appreciate when the United States is able to admit that it makes mistakes.
Where Secretary Clinton and President Obama disagreed in the past, most notably on negotiations with or without preconditions, Clinton has espoused his opinions. Whether Obama has convinced her of his beliefs or if she is just following orders is unclear. In many ways, it is irrelevant. What matters is that her forceful persona has been harnessed to make a very effective secretary of state. “President Obama won the election,” Clinton recently said before a congressional panel. “I am here to serve my president.”