Clinton Shifts Focus to Foreign Policy in Final Year of Presidency

Strategic Insights -

As his presidency enters its final year, Bill Clinton is making a conscious effort to shift his focus to foreign policy, driven by a desire to avoid being perceived as a "lame duck" and to leave a lasting legacy, according to his aides. With a stream of trips planned, Clinton aims to cast himself in various roles, including peacemaker, international financial architect, and missionary seeking converts to American-style democratic capitalism.

Key Takeaways:

  • Clinton's shift in focus to foreign policy is motivated by a desire to avoid being seen as a lame duck and to leave a lasting legacy.
  • He plans to take a hands-on approach to negotiating a Middle East peace accord, with a possible deal to be reached in the first two weeks of the new year.
  • Clinton's schedule for the next two weeks is dominated by negotiations with Israel and Syria, with a possible visit to Russia after the March presidential election.
  • The president's associates describe him as eager to avoid rattling around the White House alone, with Chelsea Clinton accompanying him on two major foreign trips in the last four months.
  • Clinton's foreign policy initiatives face potential challenges, including the defeat of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and the setback in Seattle, a meeting of the World Trade Organization.
  • The president's advisers express optimism about the prospects for his foreign policy agenda, despite the challenges ahead.

Statistics:

  • Clinton has scheduled most of the next two weeks for negotiations with Israel and Syria.
  • The Middle East aid package, if an accord is reached, would require Congressional approval, which could prove tricky in an election year.
  • The vote on granting China permanent trade status, part of the deal under which it is to enter the World Trade Organization, could come at roughly the same time as the vote on the Middle East aid package.
  • The issues of Middle East aid and China's permanent trade status "are completely different, and so are the constituencies pressing for passage." (Source: The New York Times)
  • Clinton has argued that if China is inside the World Trade Organization, the world will have a far better chance of influencing its behavior.

Sources:

  • "Bill Clinton's National Security Adviser, a Former Trade Lawyer, Expresses Optimism About Prospects for Foreign Policy Agenda" - (The New York Times)
  • "Clinton Shifts Focus to Foreign Policy in Final Year of Presidency" - (The New York Times)
  • Interview with Charlene Barshefsky, US trade representative, and Samuel R. Berger, Clinton's national security adviser (The New York Times)