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Fareed Zakaria for Secretary of State?
Yesterday, Fareed Zakaria and I were both interviewed on Canada's CBC Radio program "The Current" by the show's host, Anna Maria Tremonti. She was exploring the task facing President-elect Obama in dealing with a world where the U.S. is no longer the sole superpower.
Zakaria is the author of The Post-American World, which Senator Obama has apparently been reading. I was on the show because of my recently published book The End of the American Century. The interview can be heard at this link.
Ms. Tremonti asked Mr. Zakaria if he had written the book specifically for Obama. Zakaria said no, but said that he had favored Obama from the very beginning of the primary campaign, and thought that Obama, more than any of the other candidates, understood the situation the U.S. is facing.
Zakaria's book has the look of a foreign policy blueprint for the new administration, and concludes with a section on "New Rules for a New Age" which lists "six simple guidelines" for how the U.S. should deal with the rest of the world.
Zakaria himself is smart, articulate, and sees the big picture. Like Obama, he is a symbol of a new global era. He was born in India, came to the U.S. as a young man, and has flourished here.
Could he be a candidate for Secretary of State?
Zakaria is the author of The Post-American World, which Senator Obama has apparently been reading. I was on the show because of my recently published book The End of the American Century. The interview can be heard at this link.
Ms. Tremonti asked Mr. Zakaria if he had written the book specifically for Obama. Zakaria said no, but said that he had favored Obama from the very beginning of the primary campaign, and thought that Obama, more than any of the other candidates, understood the situation the U.S. is facing.
Zakaria's book has the look of a foreign policy blueprint for the new administration, and concludes with a section on "New Rules for a New Age" which lists "six simple guidelines" for how the U.S. should deal with the rest of the world.
Zakaria himself is smart, articulate, and sees the big picture. Like Obama, he is a symbol of a new global era. He was born in India, came to the U.S. as a young man, and has flourished here.
Could he be a candidate for Secretary of State?
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Jim Leach for Secretary of State
During the campaign, Senator Obama said he would appoint and would surround himself with independent-minded people of high integrity with specific expertise. I'm hoping President-elect Obama fulfills this commitment by asking Jim Leach to be his Secretary of State.
The former, 15-term Republican Representative from Iowa, a one-time commissioned State Department officer who resigned his commission in protest and embarrassment over Watergate, has an academic, scholarly approach that would compliment the President Elect. His endorsement of Senator Obama at the Democratic National Convention in Denver was a highlight of the convention and contributed to the immediate post-convention surge.
Like President-elect Obama, Leach is cerebral, bipartisan, highly principled and tenacious. While with the State Department, he was a delegate to the Geneva disarmament accords and to the UN. He gave up his diplomatic career as a protest against the Watergate "Saturday Night Massacre". Subsequently he returned to his Iowa roots and unseated a 2-term, Democratic incumbent. (Iowa and Oregon are noted for conducting reapportionment by nonpartisan commissions, so Leach never had a "safe" seat.) His Congressional career was distinguished by reason and vision as well as bipartisanship.
In the House Leach was a respected statesman and long-serving member of both the Foreign Relations and Banking and Finance committees. At different times he chaired the Foreign Relations subcommittee on Asian affairs and earlier would have chaired the Banking and Finance committee except for his problems with the hard right leadership of the House. Leach's unique experience and understanding of foreign affairs and finance might be especially valuable at State during this time of international financial crisis.
Leach has said he is happy in his current teaching position at Harvard and is not seeking an appointment in the new administration.
November 7, 2008 10:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
Not likely. An adviser perhaps.
My bet: Bill Richardson.
November 7, 2008 10:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
Zakaria as SoS. Really intriguing idea. So in tune with Obama, in terms of intelligence, global picture and temperament.
What exactly is the SoS job description in terms of prior work experience, as compared to expertise? Would "lack of experience" in the diplomatic world eliminate him from consideration? Would the fact that he is East Indian create issues with Pakistan? Would the right wing fundamentalists perceive him as a Muslim and go berserk? What would Richard Holbrook and Bill Richardson do, instead?
November 7, 2008 11:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
I've long appreciated his thinking. Great idea!
November 7, 2008 1:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Seems like you may not be the only one who thinks Fareed would make a great candidate for Sec of State.
The site www.DraftFareed.org popped up a few weeks before the election making the same case.
November 21, 2008 3:03 PM | Reply | Permalink