Would I prefer Gov. Bill Richardson over Sen. Hillary Clinton for Secretary of State? Yes, yes I would. Richardson certainly has the stronger resume of the two, and he’s more sympatico with my political views on foreign affairs. But it isn’t an insult to Richardson to get the lesser appointment of Secretary of Commerce. It isn’t a snub to the Latino community. In narrow, parochial, terms, Richardson will probably be able to do more good for the Latino community at Commerce. And Richardson isn’t owed the State Department. Hillary Clinton may be slightly less qualified on paper, but she has intangible strengths that certainly put her in the same league with Richardson.
It is not known why Obama is leaning towards Clinton at State (if the reporting is accurate), but we can all recognize a variety of possible motivations. He is uniting the Democratic Party by providing jobs for countless Clinton supporters, he’s neutralizing a potential rival and critic, he’s tapping into the star-power of the Clinton Couple, and he’s sending a reassuring message to both hardline Israel supporters and moderate Republicans. What would Richardson bring to the table that compares?
Richardson has his own liabilities, including a reputation as a bit of a publicity and credit hound. Many people inside the Washington foreign policy establishment, including Steve Clemons, have raised alarms about Richardson’s managerial style and fitness for State. In other words, it isn’t a total slam-dunk case that Richardson would be the better of the two. In fact, I think John Kerry has a good case that he is the best fit for the job, and he could argue that Obama owes him the position, too.
Ultimately, this is a personnel decision for president-elect Barack Obama. If he is willing to put up with the potential drama of the Clintons, then he can live with the consequences. If Richardson would rather work on foreign affairs than commerce, he can hold out for a position as emissary to some hot-spot in the world. Perhaps Richardson could be our point-man for defusing tensions between India and Pakistan. Regardless, it’s wrong for the Latino community to feel disrespected because Richardson did not get the State Department.
