Remember when we couldn’t get enough of blackberry-wielding, ball-busting, suddenly-cool-to-love Hillary Clinton? Probably, because just last month her job-approval ratings were nearly 70% and some Democrats were already getting amped about the potential for a 2016 Hillary Clinton presidential run.
But then the U.S. consulate in Libya was attacked, an American ambassador was killed, and Hillary took the blame. What’s next? This Wall Street Journal piece is a nice recap of everything she’s accomplished — and how the Libya disaster doesn’t necessarily mean political disaster, too.
“I don’t see our influence growing around the world,” Romney told Obama during the last presidential debate. “I see our influence receding.” But Hillary’s received accolades from both Republicans and Democrats for her foreign policy work over the last four years. Over the past few weeks, besides dealing with the Libya attack aftermath, Hillary “met with foreign leaders in eight countries, delivered 30 speeches, held 28 bilateral meetings and attended two dozen more events at the United Nations.” She told the WSJ that she considers her job “public diplomacy” and herself a representative of the “American brand.”
Even Rep. Darrell Issa commended Hillary for the way she handled the Libya disaster, saying in a statement that “Secretary Clinton showed leadership in acknowledging her ultimate responsibility for security failures” and that “such a willingness to take responsibility in this administration has been too rare.”
Sure, that’s a backhanded compliment, but coming from Issa, it’s practically a love letter.
What now? Will Hillary stay longer than one term so she’s not defined by Libya? Maybe. “A lot of people have talked to me about staying,” she told the paper. Smooth. Will she run for president in 2016? Maybe. She said she “ruled it out,” but she also said “I will always want to be in service to my country.” Smooth, again.
Other fun facts from this piece:
- Hillary loves that her position doesn’t require her to blow-dry her hair. A woman after our own heart.
- Obama gave her an iPad case inscribed with her initials. She gave him an espresso machine. Not very sentimental presents, true, but the two are super close:
- One surprise of her tenure is her growing closeness to President Obama, four years after their intense battle in 2008’s presidential race, aides to both say. When the bodies of the Americans slain in Benghazi were returned to Andrews Air Force Base, Mrs. Clinton held Mr. Obama’s hand after his remarks. He put his arm around her waist when they left the podium.
- She stocks fruit, almonds and Tabasco sauce, which she apparently puts on everything, in her Air force plane.
- “For meetings she sat in an armchair beside a garbage bag labeled ‘classified.'” Not really sure what that means — there’s no other context provided — but I’m into it.
For Clinton as Top Diplomat, Tumultuous Closing Chapter [WSJ]