海角大神

As secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton has boogied the night away in 叠辞驳辞迟谩, chatted about life鈥檚 dreams with schoolgirls in India, and fended off one persistent African goatherd鈥檚 proposal to take her daughter as his next bride.

When Sen. John Kerry (D) of Massachusetts replaces Secretary Clinton as secretary of State 鈥� the job that President Obama nominated Senator Kerry for on Friday 鈥� expect the tone set by America鈥檚 top diplomat to change. In an era when being secretary of State is increasingly about style as much as substance, many foreign-policy experts say, the five-term senator and quiet policy negotiator is expected by many to return the office to a more traditional version of diplomacy.

In announcing his selection of Kerry, Mr. Obama said that, as the son of a Foreign Service officer and the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who is well known and 鈥渞espected鈥� by dozens of world leaders, Kerry 鈥渋s not going to need a lot of on-the-job training.鈥� Kerry still must win Senate confirmation, but he is not expected to encounter much resistance, with key senators like John McCain (R) of Arizona already referring to him as 鈥淢r. Secretary.鈥�

While international experts equate Clinton with 鈥減eople to people鈥� diplomacy, some cite another 鈥淧鈥� word for Kerry 鈥� patrician. But they add that, in the world鈥檚 diplomatic circles, that won鈥檛 necessarily be a drawback.

Kerry may be known for a certain 鈥渁loofness,鈥� but 鈥渋t鈥檚 not particularly germane to being secretary of State if you鈥檙e seen as the type who has beers with the guys at the local tavern or you鈥檙e seen as patrician,鈥� says James Dobbins, director of the International Security and Defense Policy Center at the RAND Corp. in Arlington, Va., and a former US envoy to Afghanistan.

鈥淚n fact in international terms, being seen as a patrician is not a disadvantage,鈥� he adds. 鈥淎 dignified person with some or substantial familiarity with the elites of the world is not at a disadvantage at all.鈥�

Some foreign-policy experts with diplomatic experience say Kerry is 鈥渢he right man at the right time鈥� because the tough international issues he鈥檒l face 鈥� ranging from Iran鈥檚 nuclear program to Syria鈥檚 civil war and a rising China 鈥� require a serious 鈥渋ssues person鈥� who can hit the ground running.

鈥淗e鈥檚 the man for the job given the state of the world,鈥� says Charles Stith, a former US ambassador to Tanzania who is now director of Boston University鈥檚 African Presidential Center. 鈥淕iven the unsettled times, you need someone who鈥檚 seasoned. John Kerry knows the world,鈥� he says, 鈥渁nd he knows Obama鈥檚 agenda.鈥�

In his remarks, Obama noted that in his first term, he had called on Kerry to help the administration address a number of complex diplomatic challenges 鈥� from Afghanistan to Sudan and South Sudan 鈥� and that each time he had been 鈥渆xceptional.鈥�

Moreover, both foreign officials and foreign-policy analysts have responded to Kerry鈥檚 nomination by emphasizing his extensive knowledge of salient foreign-policy issues 鈥� and the key people behind them.

鈥淪enator Kerry is a man of towering stature and accomplishments, having served the United States with great vigor and distinction,鈥� said Sherry Rehman, the Pakistani ambassador to Washington, in a statement. 鈥淪enator Kerry has demonstrated through the years an extraordinary understanding of the complexities of South and Central Asia.鈥�

Heather Hurlburt, executive director of the National Security Network, cited Kerry鈥檚 鈥渓ongstanding personal relationships.鈥� 鈥淗is leadership on energy and trade, nuclear non-proliferation and the changing Middle East,鈥� she added in her statement, 鈥渕ake him particularly qualified to meet twenty-first century challenges that transcend national boundaries and cabinet departments.鈥�

In her own statement, Clinton 鈥� who is recovering at home from an illness 鈥� also underscored Kerry鈥檚 established relationships with many world leaders. And she gave her endorsement of Kerry a personal dimension by noting that both of them know what it is to lose a hard-fought political campaign 鈥� Kerry the 2004 presidential race, she the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.

But she said the experience of losing at politics is something Kerry will be able to put to good use in a world of many young democracies, just as she has. 鈥淎s I have learned,鈥� Clinton said, 鈥渂eing able to talk candidly as someone who has won elections and also lost them is an enormous asset when engaging with emerging or fragile democracies.鈥�

A large part of being secretary of State is frequent travel 鈥� often long and grueling trips. Clinton used her travel to dozens of countries not just to strategize with allies and confront and cajole less amenable world leaders, but also to extend America鈥檚 hand of partnership to the people of the world, in thousands of sometimes folksy events.

Time will tell if Kerry, widely lauded for his deft use of his long experience with the world鈥檚 leaders, will ultimately strike a similar balance.