Why Hillary Clinton Will Restore America's Standing in the World

Henri Barkey and Tara Sonenshine are right in observing in this space ("Global View of Democrats") that the next US president will have the critical task of raising America's credibility around the world from the depths to which it has sunk.

The authors argue that Senator Obama is the best candidate to restore America's standing and authority based on his "transformative personality, personal history and appeal."

Here's why they are wrong.

While personal appeal and oratorical skill are certainly helpful in building diplomatic ties and conveying goodwill, they aren't a substitute for strong relationships and demonstrated leadership on the international stage. And as valuable as Senator Obama's Kenyan roots and childhood in Indonesia are, these experiences are not, in fact, indicators of diplomatic skill or the knowledge of global affairs needed to navigate international relations in our treacherous world.

By contrast, Hillary Clinton has been practicing public diplomacy for years and is widely respected around the world for her longtime commitment to international development, human rights and America's global leadership.

During the years that Hillary Clinton served as first lady, she became a symbol of America's human face and the values we cherish as a people. In an unprecedented role, she traveled to more than eighty countries to highlight the importance of investing in people. She gave voice to those living on the margins of society, particularly women and children, but also the poor. She put a spotlight on US development programs that offered solutions to pressing problems like infectious diseases, illiteracy, and economic marginalization. She advanced important causes -- from microcredit to global health initiatives -- with an array of foreign leaders, international organizations, and grass roots activists. And she also talked to Americans about why these investments were critical to expanding our influence and enhancing our own security.

Hillary Clinton traveled to places no first lady had ever gone, and where presidents can't go. Visits to some of the most troubled places around the world certainly offered her a measure of exposure and acculturation that she would carry with her to the presidency.

While her oratory may not be as soaring as Senator Obama's, her words helped galvanize a global women's rights movement. Her now famous speech in Beijing at the UN Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995 -- which declared that "human rights are women's rights and women's rights are human rights" -- became a call to action to millions of women who joined together in a common purpose - the struggle for women's rights and human rights on a global scale.

Given her status as one of the world's most visible champions of these causes, it's not surprising that thousands waited through the night to hear her speak in the Philippines; that men and women stood ten deep along the streets in Mongolia to salute her when she traveled there; that the residents of Soweto danced in the streets awaiting her visit to their township.

Indeed, Hillary is today a familiar and beloved presence in many parts of the world. A street in a housing project where she helped squatters in South Africa was named after her. So was a clinic in Eritrea, a village in Bangladesh, and a school in Romania. When she arrived in Nicaragua after a devastating hurricane had hit, women held up a banner in Spanish that said: "Welcome to Hillary, the ambassador to the poor."

Perhaps as relevant today is her stature in the Muslim world. Having traveled extensively in the Middle East, North Africa, and Southeast Asia, she conducted vigorous outreach to diverse religious groups and convened leaders of different faiths to work together on religious tolerance and ways to combat extremism.

In 1999, a plaque was dedicated at the US Agency for International Development to recognize Hillary's leadership on global issues.

It said, "May all who pass through these portals recognize the invaluable contributions to worldwide development made by the First Lady of the US, Hillary Clinton." The Bush Administration had the plaque removed. Plaque or not, her legacy around the world endures in the hearts and minds of millions of people for whom she was an embodiment of America at its very best. That is what Hillary Clinton would bring to the presidency.

Comments

[nellie]

What you're citing here is not experience. She traveled and spoke to audiences. So did Rosalynn Carter. So did Nancy Reagan. So does every First Lady. I don't see how this qualifies her to restore our national image any more than any other First Lady. And I don't see how this makes her more qualified than Barack Obama to be president any more than Laura Bush is more qualified.

I will admit that Hillary Clinton is a formidable human being who deserves to be in the running. But articles like this make her seem less qualified because they don't address her real policy experience.

[joececchini]

She will say anything and change nothing.

[SEQUOIABISON]

Hillary will quickly dispatch Madeline Albright around the world to restore our integrity, well maybe not the entire world, lets start with Israel first and perhaps last.

Lets see, she voted for an unjustified war against a sovereign nation, voted for the Kyl-Lieberman amendment, voted for the Bankruptcy Bill, voted for the Patriot act.

I agree, if she is elected she will restore the confidence of Bush and his warmonger friends I am sure they will feel relieved that it will be business as usual.

Now that papa Bush has included Big Bad Bill in his Carlyle Group, we can be certain that the Munitions factories will keep on humming during another Clinton administration.

It is not too late to support Obama the only real hope of restoring our constitution and our integrity overseas.

Reject Hillary, she is merely a triangulating, pandering, obfuscating, double-talking, warmonger.

[c.w.]

Putting the Clinton's back into the White House is the surest and quickest way to reassure that rest of the world that we finally "get it".

The real tragedy is that Barack Obama has chosen to shamelessly hitch a ride on the anti-Clinton bandwagon along with the Newt Gingriches and the Rush Limbaughs of this world. It's disgusting.

The LAST thing we need is a president who fawns over Ronald Reagan and distances himself from Bill Clinton! Real Democrats hate Ronnie and love Bill!

[cognate]

Hillary is Dubya in a pantsuit.

[MadelineL]

What a laugh.

Hillary Clinton won't restore jack. Her husband is ruining the Democratic Party with his lies and distortions and anything to win attitude. Hillary and the rest of the surrogates and staff are playing the race card and had precinct workers disenfranchising other Democrat voters in Nevada. And you think The Royal Clintons are going to restore America's standing anywhere when they could care less about their own party and the Democratic voters’ right to vote? Hillary can't control her husband or doesn’t care to so how can she run anything properly. Hillary has no record to run on.

Bill sure likes Karl Rove. I mean really, really, likes Karl Rove. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/14/AR2007081401722.html

28 years of the Bush Clinton Dynasty? Enough!

[Tankan]

Really?

And how is your wishful thinking going to be translated into action?

Has Hillary said she shall bring the living troops home?
Is she to bring about root and branch change to foreign policy?

Please list the ways this female equivalent of George W. will make the USA the most loved nation on the planet!

[jhamm1]

Regardless of whether Hillary has been touring the world with altruistic speeches about human rights, (and big deal, considering that Laura Bush has been doing much of the same) the fact remains that the good senator has already threatened war with Iran, has opposed treaties which would have outlawed the use of landmines, supported an amendment that would give the UN the proverbial finger while undertaking unilateral initiatives across the globe, has pledged little short of unconditional support of Israel, and, last but not least, let's not forget the Iraqi War, either.

Mind you, those of us who have actually been doing our research realize that a prospective presidency under Hillary Clinton is only likely to further erode divisions between the United States and the international community.

Is it any wonder why, the more Hillary supporters talk, the more they sound identical to Bush supporters? They constantly make ridiculous excuses for every single one of her ostensible "mistakes" and verbally berate anyone and everyone who dares venture outside the box of their thinking patterns.

And now, Hillary supporters are trumpeting an all too familiar diatribe, in that all of us democrats need to "stand united" against the Republican party, as if to suggest "Who cares what issues Hillary represents? She's a democrat and that's all that matters."

Isn't this unconditional devotion to party lines and inability to think for ourselves what got us into this bullshit in the first place?

Oh well, go figure. After all, who could forget Terry McAuliffe's choice of words with which to jump start Hillary's bid for the white house back in '07, in that "you're either with us or you're against us."

Sound familiar?

[emjay1954]

When liberal and progressive people keep voting for crappy candidates such as Kerry and the Clintons, the Democrats will keep feeding them to us.

If Hillary gets the nomination, vote Green.

[LittleBrother]

Yeah, I'm sure The World will be overjoyed at another exceptionalist, pro-military, pro-Zionist, pro-corporation president.

Hillary has justly earned her reputation for keeping The World safe from dissenting flag-burners, and video-game manufacturers who keep sneaking naughty bits into their products!

[MitchW]

I can't believe we are going to elect another dynasty. Wasn't this country founded in part to move away from a monarchy? Havent we had enough drama over the last 15-20 years? I want a "No Drama" candidate! Just a normal, experianced, likeable candidate that can move the country forward. Emphasis on "FORWARD" ...a Clinton adminstration ...is that moving to the past or to the future?

[Obama2008]

Here is one of the many reasons that I think it is an absolute joke for anyone to consider backing Hillary/Bill Clinton for President:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVuMYKs8iJs&feature=user

[Evolin]

A great post. My sentiments exactly.

[jaywh1]

I come from a family of 5 life-long Democrats, including two women. None of us will vote for Hillary. Bill and Hillary would cause/invite more damage in four to eight years than either of the viable Republican candidates.

[amadeus1]

This very liberal woman is totally disgusted with the distortions and lies by both Bill and Hillary Clinton and it is interesting to me, that Hillary who wants to be the first female president needs the heavy hand of a male (her husband) to spread falsehoods in order to (hopefully not) achieve that goal.

It's just very disappointing and disgusting!