John Kerry's high-wire diplomacy, Has the new secretary of State eclipsed Hillary Clinton..

[Jesus Malverde]

on the world stage.

in 10 months, Kerry has embarked on a whirlwind of diplomacy. He helped conclude an interim deal with Iran that puts a ceiling on Tehran's nuclear enrichment. He launched new Israeli-Palestinian peace talks with the goal of producing a deal next year. And he secured a date for negotiations to end the war in Syria, although it's still not certain who will show up.

"The naysayers are wrong to call peace in this region an impossible goal," Kerry said in Jerusalem on Friday, at the end of his latest dash through the Middle East. "It always seems impossible until it's done."

Actually, the naysayers say a lot more than that. For one thing, they note, Air Kerry has produced a series of thrilling takeoffs but no safe landings. The Iran agreement is a long way from a permanent deal, the Israeli-Palestinian talks are just talks, and the Syria conference is little more than a date and a city (Geneva, Jan. 22).

But give Kerry credit. He has dared to take big risks — in notable contrast to his revered but risk-averse predecessor, Hillary Rodham Clinton. Clinton tended to subcontract out the unpromising assignments to special envoys like the late Richard C. Holbrooke, her deputy for Afghanistan. But Kerry has taken them on himself, personally and visibly. If any of them fail — and they all could — he'll take the fall himself.

One reason for the contrast is simple: Kerry, who turns 70 this week, knows this is almost certainly his last major assignment in American politics — his last opportunity to make an outsized mark. Unlike Clinton, he isn't considering running for president again, which means he can afford to absorb a setback or two.

Besides, one lesson of Clinton's tenure (to Kerry fans, anyway) is that caution may be an overrated virtue. Quick quiz: What was Clinton's greatest achievement as secretary of State? Answer: the "reset" with Russia — and it didn't last.

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/commentary/la-oe-mcmanus-column-kerry-state-department-20131208,0,1472606.column#ixzz2mx8f3A5g

[seabeyond]

1. I love Kerry and he is kicking ass. Hillary did an excellent job. That works for me and

Obama picking good people for the position

[Jesus Malverde]

2. "But give Kerry credit. He has dared to take big risks"!!! nt

[seabeyond]

4. I do give him credit. He is kicking ass, as I knew he would as president. that is why I was excited

Last edited Mon Dec 9, 2013, 09:10 AM - Edit history (1)

Getting him into whitehouse and a forever disappointment we never had the opportunity to see what he would do.

[Jesus Malverde]

5. I often dismissed Kerry, I have a new found respect...nt

[seabeyond]

6. i never did. and i did not buy into what media was continually feeding people

allowing an untrue caricature of the man. i didnt buy into it.

it was hard to even get the networks to air any of his speeches. or give him a half way reasonable presentation of what he was saying he wanted to do.

[Jesus Malverde]

9. My sense he was always the loyal opposition

Ivy league, secret society fraternity, safely marshaling anti-war movement away from the left, solid 1%er and a real part of the establishment.

BUT his recent actions have been remarkable. He really is challenging my cynicism and prejudices about the 1% as a monolith.

[karynnj]

10. That meant you never really bothered to dig to get his record

As Seabeyound said - it was very hard for him to get media coverage.

He was born to one of the most elite families in MA, but he was not a 1% - not even close. His mother was a Forbes and her mother a Winthrop. She and Kerry's father were definitely upper middle class in income. An aunt paid for his and his siblings' expensive educations.

Other than for about two years as a lawyer, he chose public service for his entire adult life. His elite connections would have made him incredibly wealthy had he applied his intelligence and personal skills to jobs making a fortune.

As a Senator, he worked for things that helped the poor. He and Kennedy wrote the precursor bill to SCHIP and he remained a cosponsor of the Kennedy/Hatch SCHIP bill. He shepherded a bill for an affordable housing fund (for public housing) through at least 3 Congresses, gaining more sponsors until it was accepted into the 2008 Banking bill. He was the Senate sponsor of a program to help poor young people get education and job skills called "Youthbuild". (In fact, in Bill Clinton's autobiography, edited after JK was the nominee, that was one of the only things BC gave him credit for - adding that it was something that did not get you votes(!) )

Teresa, who was more distorted by the media than her husband, also had done major things on childhood education and affordable prescription drugs through her foundation (as well as green building and the environment.)

In 2004, for the only time in decades, the networks did not create the typical puff piece biography that they always had before each convention - that framed the candidate's life as leading naturally to becoming President. This was REALLY tough with GWB in 2000, but they did it. Kerry's life fits it more easily than most - war hero, anti war hero, great prosecutor, lt Governor etc -- but it was not done.

Had the media given Kerry even a fair platform, he would have won. Had there been the advocates that Bill and Hillary Clinton, Obama, Bush or even Romney had -- he would have won.

Even in all these articles on his current successes, there always the claim that he is tone deaf, pompous, arrogant etc --- yet, in the comments from people who actually met with him, there is a consistent comment that he LISTENED to them. Not to mention, there are hundreds of local stories of people who met him in his personal life -- nearly all overwhelmingly positive. (Like the woman who trained his dog - http://www.wcsh6.com/news/article/264246/2/Green-Outdoors-Secretary-of-State-Kerrys-dog-trained-in-Maine

I suspect the answer is one given to me long ago by a Massachusetts JK member - he never pandered to the media. A different JK group member who filmed JK a lot in MA actually had one clip where she was filming him speaking with people in a store when he was running for re-election in 2008 - somewhat awkward (mostly for people not expecting to see their Senator and not knowing what to say), but very friendly and funny - then the local media came in - his answers and demeanor were far more cautious and controlled. Having seen him in person, what was clear was his seriousness and his sincerity - even in speaking to a group of people he knew strongly supported him. (Walter Shapiro, in one book on the primaries, pointed out that he smiled more and was more engaged when the cameras left - unlike most politicians, who are transformed into more engaging people for the cameras. )

It may be the media sees someone they know is far classier than they are - and not because he was born a Forbes/Winthrop Kerry.

[Jesus Malverde]

11. I haven't studied him much.

Thank you for your post I have learned a lot and will read about him some more. Your post was eloquent and heartfelt.

[karynnj]

12. I agree - it is silly seeing articles that suggest that there is a need to reevaluate

how well Hillary Clinton did. I always thought that she was given a bit too much credit - but it is nice when that occasionally happens to a Democrat. All the same, most accounts credited her with being a good manager of the State Department and an excellent asset internationally for the US. Nothing has changed on that.

There is no reason that every evaluation of how Kerry is doing as Secretary of State has to make the comparison with how Clinton did. (This has gone both ways - including silly articles that knocked Kerry for going to Europe first - when Hillary went to Asia first.) I don't recall any such nonsense when Madeline Albright replaced Warren Christopher or Rice replaced Powell.

In fact, for those wanting a Democrat in 2016 (including Clinton), they should hope that Kerry does become the most successful Secretary of State since George Marshall. Running on Democratic domestic values, the recovery (I also hope that accelerates) and a clearly more peaceful world to which the Obama administration contributed - in both terms would be great. If that happens - and it won't be easy, John Kerry will easily be seen as an extraordinary Secretary of State - and that will take nothing away from the very likely next President of the US - Hillary Clinton.

At this point, it is too early to make those claims, but at this point I am very proud that I have supported John Kerry for President, for Senator (even though I was not in his state) and as a person who makes the world better.

[Drunken Irishman]

3. Kerry is a fantastic SoS.

[kelliekat44]

7. Both Dems did and are doing a great job. nt

[HappyMe]

8. He is kicking ass and taking names.

He is putting himself out there more than HC did. I always did like the guy.