One of the frequently voiced criticisms of Obama's choice of national security team was that it contained too many powerful personalities with big egos. His pick of Hillary Clinton, in particular, was deemed risky. After all, Hillary's all about Hillary, right?
Wrong. Perhaps because she's often mistaken for her husband or bundled together with him as a single entity, it's too often assumed that Hillary Clinton is an insecure attention-seeker with a desperate need for the spotlight. But in fact, her personality is a much more stable compound than her husband's. For all her celebrity, she driven by duty and a belief that hard work brings its own reward.
As this Politico report points out, she's kept a low public profile since her appointment, and has focused on the unromantic and often grindingly dull details of her job.* It helps that her peers are also grown-ups - she has formed a strong relationship with Robert Gates, as his spokesperson confirms:
"In the eight administrations Secretary Gates has worked in, more often than not the secretary of defense and secretary of state were not on speaking terms. By contrast, he and Secretary Clinton get along as if they were old friends," he said, adding that Gates sees Clinton as someone who is "serious, hard-working and cares deeply about national security issues."
This administration has big players but it's relatively free of the sort of insecure, secretive and controlling personalities (the Rumsfelds, Haigs and Kissingers) that can create major internecine problems.
OK, there's one obvious exception....
*Having said that, this is not a good sign.
Comments