In a farewell speech, Hillary Clinton said the world required a new architecture that should be more “Frank Gehry than formal Greek”. It was an elegant description of the complexities facing the US at the start of Barack Obama’s second term. Many of the certainties that existed when Mrs Clinton was First Lady in the 1990s have vanished – not least the unipolarity of that brief era.
As secretary of state since 2009, it is to Mrs Clinton’s credit that she helped restore America’s standing following George W. Bush’s mishandling of the unipolar moment. Her star power was an important asset on the global stage – as was her tendency to show up at relatively obscure international gatherings. But her diplomatic legacy is smaller than might have been expected. It will be up to John Kerry to give a sharper clarity to America’s strategic direction.
But the White House must first make clear Mr Kerry will have the scope to do so. The former senator starts off with one clear advantage – no-one suspects him of lingering presidential ambitions. Mrs Clinton, who shattered all records both in air miles and countries visited, was kept on a tight leash by Mr Obama’s aides. She was seen as the implementer of strategies devised in the White House. She was also sidelined on Afghanistan.