Keep Your Friends Close, And Your Enemies Unarmed

Hillary is being strongly considered for Secretary of State -- possibly having already been offered the job.

Let's assume that President-elect Obama is fully aware that Mrs. Clinton wants his job. Let's assume he knows she may not plan to wait 8 years to make another go at it. We must then conclude that he believes he has more to gain from nominating her to this position than he has to lose. How can he believe this?

He is perhaps obsessing over this desire to prove that he is above politics and can persuade even his rivals to follow him. That his strength of leadership and his charismatic personality will overwhelm any ill intentions.

Having conquered the largest empire in human history, I can assure you that there are political battles to be won along the way. You cannot be above politics, or you will find yourself tumbling over it. And if his life ambitions do not include political battles, he has found himself in the wrong line of work.

So, who do you put in the position of Secretary of State, and where do you put a person like Mrs. Clinton? For the real power positions, the ones that put people in position to really threaten you, always place a person with absolutely zero possibility of upward movement. Someone who would be nobody without you, and will be nobody again when you are gone.

A quick look back will confirm this: Condoleezza Rice, Colin Powell, Madeleine Albright, Warren Christopher, and so on. I did not say these were unaccomplished people -- that is not the point. But none of them can achieve higher office. The first two are too liberal to succeed in their own party, the second two are simply not attractive enough to run for a higher office. And with the exception of Christopher, all owe most of their careers to the president who nominated them (or his father, ahem).

There is one position even more dangerous than Secretary of State, and that of course is Attorney General. The list: Michael Mukasey, Alberto Gonzales, John Ashcroft, Janet Reno. Again, long term loyalties and no hope for advancing.

6 of the first 15 Presidents were former Secretary of States, and 0 of the last 29! Did we learn something? Any bets on whether the 45th President will be a former Secretary of State? Attorney Generals have not fared so well, but prior to the last 50 years, that position has nothing like the power it has now.

Some readers have asked, "What can Hillary do as Obama's Secretary of State that will hurt him and help her?"

Rest assured, dear readers, you could spend years pondering that question, the Clintons can invent 10 new answers over tea.

If your rivals have potential, make them the Secretaries of Energy and Transportation. Places where they'll only be noticed in the event of failure. Better to name Bill Ayers Attorney General and Jeremiah Wright the Secretary of State.