4 Reasons Why Obama Shouldn't Appoint Clinton

I know this is going to get me in a lot of hot water, but it has to be said. Appointing Hillary Clinton to be Secretary of State would be the first colossal blunder of the nascent Obama Administration.

Why? Because you simply shouldn't bring a bitter rival onto your team in a subordinate role unless there is a compelling reason for doing so. In this case there isn't.

Sure Clinton would bring experience and star quality to the post. And I fully expect her appointment would be viewed favorably by key governments and NGOs

But I can think of at least four reasons why a Clinton appointment would be a very bad move.

1. Influence. By appointing her, Obama inevitably would limit his ability to put his own stamp on foreign policy. As someone who aspired to be President, she certainly has strong views on what American foreign policy priorities should be. But the role of the new Secretary of State is to support the President in making his policies a reality.
2. Incentives. A Clinton appointment would put someone into a critical role who has an inherent conflict of interest. She wants to be President, and we are not talking 2016 here. What happens if the current needs of the Obama administration come into conflict with the future aspirations of candidate-Clinton? Also think of the opportunities for spin: the successes would be hers, while failures would reflect back on Obama.
3. Baggage, Part I. The new team is already in danger of looking like a recycled Clinton Administration, with all the associated baggage. If Obama appoints Clinton, it will give the opposition the opportunity to indelibly frame the new administration as Clinton II, and so make it easier to undercut key policy initiatives.
4. Baggage, Part II. Even if Bill Clinton's business dealings pass muster, his new role as spouse-of-the-Secretary is bound to create headaches for the administration. If there is one thing we can count on, it's that Bill can't be counted on. He's ungovernable, and hence shouldn't be a part of the new government.

I fully expect to be pilloried by Clinton supporters for taking this position. But let's be frank, a Clinton appointment to Secretary of State wouldn't break any new ground for women in government. Also I would be delighted to see qualified women put in senior positions throughout the administration, just not Hillary Clinton.