John Kerry has said in his campaign speeches that he wants to restore America’s standing among the international community, rolling back the unilateralist policies of the Bush administration.
Here’s a thought. If the desired result is a return to the status quo ante Bush, what about nominating Bill Clinton as Secretary of State?
Let’s set aside for a moment the question of whether Clinton would want the job.
Whatever the opinion one holds of Clinton’s domestic achievements or his personal failings, one cannot deny that Clinton was resoundingly successful in the foreign policy arena. The rogue states Bush named a few years ago–Iraq, Iran, North Korea–were all contained during the Clinton era. Clinton had productive relationships with China, with Russia, with the European powers. Clinton knew the value of multilateralism.
Were Kerry to nominate Clinton for Secretary of State it would be a clear sign to the international community that the cowboy diplomacy that marked Bush’s foreign policy was a thing of the past.