Sending Off the Secretary

Sixty-six people were Secretary of State before Hillary Clinton. Yet, she made the job her own.

Each of the Secretaries of State took up a cause during their term that went beyond mere diplomatic goaltending like the purchase of Alaska by William H. Seward, the signing of the Marshall Plan by George Marshall or the efforts in Bosnia by Madeleine Albright. While serving at the behest of the president, they nevertheless managed to bring their own outlook to the world stage.

Logging a million miles in four years has not hindered Hillary Clinton from being more than a mouthpiece for men. Her experience on the Senate Armed Services Committee prior to 2009, combined with eight years of watching the Bush administration, provided her with a chance to develop a very specific view of foreign policy: a combination of cooperation and tough negotiation that has been described succinctly as "smart power."

For Clinton, it was not about one cause; it was about all of them. Clinton was involved in starting the Global Hunger and Food Security Initiative; opening the Turkish-Armenian border for the first time in decades; working to attack climate change; hammering China on their restrictive Internet policies; and promoting the rights of women and LGBT individuals throughout the world. There's a reason most of these are not ringing a bell: Clinton was never about only doing  what the media would cover. She was about using American leverage to do what was right for the world.

Not everything has gone right for the U.S. in the last four years. The drawdown in Afghanistan still leaves many questions about the ability of the Afghan troops to provide stability. North Korea has nuclear weapons, and Iran seems to be doing everything it can to join the club. Europe remains economically on edge, and of course, there was the loss of J. Christopher Stevens, U.S. ambassador to Libya, and two other Americans in Libya last September. The legacy of Hillary Clinton, then, is one of both triumph and tragedy. Yes, much has been done, but much still needs to be done . 

The relationship between the U.S. and the rest of the world is more important than ever. Also critical is for the U.S. to constantly advocate the freedoms that we enjoy and others are denied. As Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton served these interests and her country with distinction. President Barack Obama rated her as among the best. While perhaps it is too early for a ranking, one thing is sure: Hillary Clinton has left very big shoes for John Kerry to fill.