Hillary Clinton Re-Imagined
With Clinton's likely confirmation as President-elect Barack Obama's secretary of state, she and her husband -- the former president of the United States -- will step out (permanently?) from the world of partisan politics and into the world of international statecraft.
And, with that change will come the potential for a re-imagining (some might say a re-writing) of the legacy of the Clintons in the minds of voters -- from partisan political warriors to committed bipartisan stateswoman (and man).
Perhaps more than any other political family in modern memory, Bill and Hillary Clinton are acutely aware of protecting and bolstering their legacies. It's why Bill Clinton took such umbrage during the primary campaign when Barack Obama insinuated that politics as practiced by Clinton and George W. Bush was what he was running against. And, it's why Hillary Clinton ultimately chose to leave the Senate after just eight years to take on the role of chief diplomat for Obama.
During the course of the 2008 presidential campaign, voters were reminded of what they liked least about the Clintons -- the too-political approach to every issue, the attempts to turn even the smallest mistakes by Obama into major crisis during the campaign and so on.
But, since the conclusion of the election, the Clintons (especially Hillary) have moved to erase any lingering memories of her as a partisan pitbull from voters' minds -- replacing those thoughts with the image of her as the consummate diplomat, ready and willing to serve for the good of the country.
In her opening statement today, Clinton sounded those same themes of statesmanship and non-partisanship.
Summing up that sentiment, Clinton said:
"The President-elect and I believe that foreign policy must be based on a marriage of principles and pragmatism, not rigid ideology. On facts and evidence, not emotion or prejudice. Our security, our vitality, and our ability to lead in today's world oblige us to recognize the overwhelming fact of our interdependence."
Republican members on the committee played their part in the re-making of Clinton's image; Indiana Sen. Dick Lugar (R) described her answer on arms control "very good news" while Ohio Sen. George Voinovich (R) waxed eloquent on Clinton's virtues during his question time.
The transformation of Clinton is already well underway if you believe public opinion polls.
A new Gallup survey shows roughly two-thirds of Americans view her favorably, a steep increase from even August 2008 when 54 percent saw Clinton in a favorable light while 43 percent viewed her negatively.
Other polls affirm that positive movement for Clinton. An early December NBC/Wall Street Journal survey showed 53 percent of the sample felt very or somewhat positively about Clinton while 26 percent felt very/somewhat negatively about her. That compares favorably to an NBC/WSJ poll done in late March when 37 percent felt positively while 48 percent felt negatively.
Clinton's numbers are almost certain to continue upwards for two reasons.
First, she is now entirely outside of the context of political campaigns. Now the face she will put forward to average Americans is one of hyper-competency, intelligence and readiness -- the traits voters always liked about Clinton if only they could get beyond the partisanship (which they couldn't).
Second, the role of secretary of state is seen as the most non-partisan of all the cabinet posts -- the public face that America puts out to the world. That image explains why Condoleezza Rice is still highly regarded by many independents and Democrats despite having been at the side of a deeply unpopular president for the last eight years.
The stars appear to be aligning for Clinton to drastically -- and quickly -- reshape her political legacy over the next four to eight years. Today's hearing is the start of that re-imagination as Clinton moves from the world of politics to that of international diplomacy. It will be a fascinating journey to watch.
By Chris Cillizza, The Washington Post, January 13, 2009
<< Home