“I could sit in my office and do videoconferences nearly anywhere in the world, but because that is so easy, people actually expect you to show up more, to make the effort and demonstrate the respect, to sit across the table and look eye to eye. It reflects a commitment to the relationship that you cannot get from sending an e-mail or doing a videoconference.” –Hillary Clinton
Hillary is arguably the most traveled Presidential candidate the United States has ever seen—during her tenure as Secretary of State, she visited 112 different countries, traveling a total of nearly 1 million miles around the world. Many of her visits were to countries that no Secretary of State had ever visited before. But more than just racking up frequent flyer miles, Hillary’s travels were part of her strategy to invest time and energy into personal relationships, listening to leaders across the globe, and gaining a real understanding of each country’s political situation. Hillary’s experience building these relationships around the world will be critical to her foreign policy as President, which will prioritize coming together with other world leaders to form coalitions and solve problems.
One critical trip Hillary took was in November of 2012, to Jerusalem and Cairo, where Hillary met with Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi. Hillary was able to negotiate a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, ending the severe turmoil in the Gaza Strip. Hillary’s sense that personal investment of time was needed to accomplish this goal reflects her smart ability to build strategic relationships to get things done.
But beyond the specific conflicts Hillary helped solved, Hillary’s ability to build relationships with world leaders also helped restore America’s reputation around the world. After the Bush Administration and the unpopular wars fought in the Middle East, America’s credibility was badly damaged. Hillary was able to improve America’s reputation through her development of key relationships as well as her use of smart power—coupling diplomacy with the threat of force or sanctions. As Clinton tells it:
The most important thing I did was to help restore America's leadership in the world. And I think that was a very important accomplishment. We were flat on our back when I walked in there the first time. We were viewed as being untrustworthy, as violating our moral rules and values, as being economically hobbled. And we had to get out there and once again promote American values and pursue our interests and protect national security. Because of the eight years that preceded us — it was the economic collapse, it was two wars, it was the war on terror that led to some very unfortunate, un-American actions being taken. That was my biggest challenge. It was why the president asked me to be secretary of state.
Hillary’s willingness to personally invest time and energy to build personal relationships to reach common goals will aid her greatly as President, where relationships, compromise, and negotiation are the building blocks for success. Her presidency will symbolize strength and respect, while Republicans like Donald Trump would be not only an embarrassment to our country, but a legitimate threat if leaders of other countries are unwilling to work with him, as some have suggested. Hillary’s solid relationships with world leaders will enable her to get things done that will benefit the American people.
This blog is part of a series based on the book, 52 Reasons To Vote For Hillary. In an effort to provide the facts about Hillary Clinton, her record, and her plans for America, the authors of the book have decided to publish one reason through Election Day. To find out more about the book, visit the website or buy your copy here.