Why Hillary Clinton Will Restore America's Standing in the World
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.
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I am CONFUSED. Hill will make a better president because she was a highly privileged tourist??
The only thing Hillary will restore is her home in New York after she loses the election, if Americans are foolish enough to nominate her.
She is a text book example of the worst kind of politician; bought off, mean spirited, addicted to war and self-serving.
Her foreign policy is indistinguishable from Bushes.
So if you think she'll restore the "standing" of the US, I've got a bridge I'd like to sell you.
You make a pretty good case for Hillary, but let's be objective. This country can't afford her enemies, namely, the GOP.
The Republicans will not lift a finger to work with her as president. The ability to get things done across the aisle is job one. Hillary's ideals are admirable, but she won't be able to drag this country out of the muck by herself.
That said, I am very angry about her vote for these wars and she said on "Meet The Press" that she thought her vote was to send the inspectors back to Iraq. She's fighting dirty on the campaign trail and Bill is hurting his own legacy with his win at all costs strategy to get another Clinton into the White House.
Sorry, but that warm and worshipful feeling you seem to want to evoke for Hillary must not be as wide-spread as you believe. I haven't heard of any Hillary fan clubs in my neck of the woods at all. I believe I've even heard a criticism or two of her from time to time.
Bill Clinton is an avowed globalist in favor of a one-world government and to achieve that goal, the United States must become a totally different country in which the Constitution no longer counts. Hillary has the same beliefs. Believe it. The work she has done by traveling all over the world was for those ends. She might have been a good ambassador, but we must ask for whom?
A leader wouuld at least READ the Iraq Intelligence Report BEFORE making a decision as crucial as what this country is ENDURING. She has repeatedly told this country, she relied on her "briefings". THIS WASN'T IMPORTANT TO HER? WAS IT COMPREHENSION? SHE DIDN'T TRUST HER HUSBAND'S DECISION EITHER? Even that is in question, NOW. And she SINCERELY wants this country to allow her to GUIDE US? The Hillary supporters I've met are EMBARRASSED to speak to me on this issue----let alone others. The more thy watch Hillary in action----not only are they leaning toward another candidate---they're discouraged about the electoral SYSTEM.
Reputation is another matter. How can she want respect----when she doesn't give it? A disgrace---and Hillary holds her head up high as if AMERICA has no clue of the deceptions and corruptions that this country WITNESSED SINCE THE CLINTONS WENT TO WASHINGTON IN 1992. I dare not mention Arkansas Years----- Washingon is enough.
I am utterly speechless about this blog...Jus
Obama '08
The race is over, less the one percent of Americans have undemocratically "caucused". There are a couple of adults running, we Americans do not vote for honest politicians: we do not believe they can govern. So Kucinich, Gravel and others are excluded from debate.
The GE war profiteers select the corporatist candidates before American even hear the debates.
You American voters have proven yourselves incapable of seeing beyond the most obvious lies and deceptions.
All the remaining GE-vetted "contenders" are thick with Lieberman DLC.ORG and the PNAC.info crowd and credo: "We have a big stick and we're going to use it!"
So the MSM war profiteering military industrial corporations are safe. All the candidates will keep us in Iraq and at war forever.
http://www
one of the top Democratic recipients of pro-Israel funds for the 2006 election cycle, Clinton now has Iran in her cross hairs.
During a Hanukkah dinner speech delivered in December 2005, hosted by Yeshiva University, Clinton prattled, "I held a series of meetings with Israeli officials, including the prime minister and the foreign minister and the head of the IDF, to discuss such challenges we confront. we talked at length about the dire threat posed by the potential of a nuclear-armed Iran, not only to Israel, but also to Europe and Russia.
As Clinton embraces Israel's violence, as well as AIPAC's fraudulent posture on Iran, she simultaneously ignores the hostilities inflicted upon Palestine, as numerous Palestinians have been killed during the continued shelling of the Gaza Strip over the past year.
Clinton's silence toward Israel's brutality implies the senator will continue to support AIPAC's mission to occupy the whole of the occupied territories, as well as a war on Iran. even President Bush appears to be a little sheepish when up against the warmongering of Hillary Clinton.
"This is not against the Palestinian people," Clinton said as she gazed over the massive wall. "This is against the terrorists. The Palestinian people have to help to prevent terrorism. They have to change the attitudes about terrorism.
"[O]ur future here in this country is intertwined with the future of Israel and the Middle East. I want to start by focusing on our deep and lasting bonds between the United States and Israel."
Clinton addressed the importance of disarming Iran and Syria, as well as keeping troops in Iraq for as long as "it" takes. It was textbook warmongering.
Iraq will never see true democracy. The U.S. won't allow that. Our government will never allow a free Iraq to form that embodies even the slightest disgust toward Israel or America. Democracy in Iraq, like democracy in Israel, has clear limitations.
Hillary Clinton will never alter the U.S.' Middle East policy that so blatantly favors Israeli interests.
The main reason Hillary won't restore U.S. credibility around the world is that she has no chance of becoming President. If she gets the Democratic nomination, she will be slaughtered in the general election. No Republican will vote for her; neither will half the Democrats (including me), after her lying campaign against Obama. If Obama gets the nomination, do you believe half the Democratics won't vote for him? Not likely. And don't forget the many Independents and Republicans that would also vote for him.
Before you say another word, could you please explain to us why HC takes more in political contributions from the very corrupt corporations who lied about her healthcare plan in order to kill it (and who, with her cooperation-- have kept us from having any real reform for a decade and a half now)?
Because unless there is one damn good explanation, I am going to conclude that she has gone over to the dark side and sold us out.
Excellent article. Makes perfect sense to me.
Keep up the great writing.
What a utterly bogus thesis!
Hillary is running for Hillary!
Hillary is a hawk. She's voted way to many times with her GOP counterparts and given Bush just what he wants.
Oh Please - give us a break.
I want to see a woman president in my lifetime but I also want our country back. The only way to get respect back with our allies is to do the right thing. I'm an Edwards supporter but I feel very sure that either Edwards or Obama want change and will do the right thing. I'm not that sure of Hillary.
I hope you whiny Idealists get over your saviour after Feb 5. and get on board with Hillary 08 and not pull a "I want Nader, I going home and not playing!"
Obama is toast now that the economy is the 1 one issue. The non-liberal voter is not going to hand the keys over to someone as young and unexperienced at the national level if they are fearful of their wallets/jo
So let's hear it, will you support any Dem candidate that wins the nomination? I will. Even your saviour.
~MM
MUSCATINE, Iowa - Hillary Rodham Clinton will bring America “back to the future,” husband Bill says, promoting his own legacy in public life almost as much as his wife’s presidential campaign.
Showing inconsistency on an issue that has dogged his wife, the former president also told Iowa Democrats that he “opposed (war in) Iraq from the beginning.
Oh! Did he? http://vid
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