Jesse A. Schroeder

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It's clear the "face" of our government is changing, most obviously with president-elect Obama and his secretary of state, Hillary Clinton. And while I have some skepticism like the best Americans, I am also excited because I see signs that these new faces will allow their personal identities and history to inform their political agendas - which in some cases can be a really good thing.

First, in Clinton's recent confirmation hearings, she confessed to hold a deep interest in the cause of women around the world, especially those held in slavery and prostitution. She stated:

"I take very seriously the function of the State department to lead our government through the Office on Human Trafficking, to do all that we can to end this modern form of slavery. We have sex slavery, we have wage slavery, and it is primarily a slavery of girls and women...So we’re going to have a very active office on trafficking, we’re going to be speaking out consistently and strongly against discrimination and oppression of women, and slavery in particular. Because I think that is not only in keeping with American values, as we all recognize, but American national security interests as well."

While she doesn't state it specifically, I don't think it is too far of a jump to see that as a woman who has fought for years to earn her place in government, she has a personal concern for issues regarding women's rights and justice. I have never been a huge fan of Clinton, but if these words are more than just pre-inauguration rhetoric, then she'll earn a spot in my fave-five.

Second, Obama is a beacon for those struggling with multi-race relations. On NPR yesterday, I heard the tail end of an open letter to the president-elect (I just searched for it, but couldn't find it), from a middle-eastern politician. He expressed hope that Obama would have more empathy for the complicated situation between Israel and Palestine because he comes from a bi-racial family himself.

IMO (which doesn't count for much when it comes to international politics), I see a lot of potential for Obama in situations like this. I would disagree with Victor David Hanson, who while admitting that Obama's "nontraditional pedigree offers America advantages abroad" was still doubtful that this would result in much real change in policy. (BTW, I don't read the National Review every day, but saw this article linked from here).

Instead, I think it is easy for us to understimate the power of solidarity. In some situations, I hope Obama will work harder and with more passion simply because he personally knows how important the issue is. I am hopeful that as we see the face of the administration changing in gender and color we will see significant changes around the world as well.