Hillary Soars

A new CNN poll, released last week, indicates soaring approval for Hillary Clinton in her role as Secretary of State. 71% of respondents indicated a favorable opinion of Clinton, with 9 out of 10 Democrats and 6 out of 10 Republicans giving the thumbs up. This is a career-spanning all time high for Clinton, whose approval ratings as a Senator reached their peak around 62%, her previous highest positive rating. She is also running a full 10% higher than former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice at the same point in her tenure at State. (Not to mention, somewhere around that same advantage over her boss, the president.) While CNN persists in calling Clinton a "polarizing" figure, and marvels at such sweeping approval, it makes perfect sense to me. "Polarizing" figures tend to become "unifying" figures once people realize they're not the enemy. I believe Hillary Clinton was only ever seen as polarizing for two reasons, may be three: first, she is a liberal, and liberals are always "polarizing." Second, she is a powerful and confident woman who has consistently adopted the traditional roles of men in her career, and boy oh boy is that polarizing. And, third, in 2008 she was polarizing because she wasn't Barack Obama. Regardless of the bruising she has taken trying to get out of Bill's shadow (now accomplished very well -- her shadow is longer than his by now,) Hillary has come out the other end of it all shining, bright. Her oft-used campaign phrase, "bloom where you're planted," rings true.

Hillary Clinton is a full-court player. She really does know everyone in Washington D.C., and her Christmas card list includes the heads of state of half the world, plus a goodly chunk of the world's billionaires. Now, she can add to that image: (finally) poster woman for women. While she put forth in her presidential campaign that this all-over familiarity was what would make her the best choice of the Oval Office, and perhaps it still will, she is already knocking the socks off the world as Secretary of State. She is getting rave reviews in Mexico, accepting culpability for arms and drug trafficking between the US and Mexico, and has already logged 60,000 miles on the odometer of State in only 2 months. Her "new diplomacy" is taking off like a bird, comfortable with flight from the egg. And she has shown a true commitment to putting the right people in the right jobs, increasing the diplomatic corps, and sharing the spotlight when it is due. And, while people now see her a superwoman, she is certainly not wasting her clout trying to be superwoman -- she is using experts and novices alike to spread the web of State wider and wider, and is building up America and the Obama administration in lasting and positive ways. As proof of this, we see that when the President is too busy to have a sit-down with visiting heads of state, Clinton is the natural surrogate -- something that would be seen as a slight coming from anyone else, but Secretary Clinton has the gravitas necessary to make them feel honored instead.

As much as I wanted Hillary Clinton to be President, I have to say, President Obama made the right choice putting her at State instead of next door.