Posted on 08/07/2017 2:12:03 PM PDT by BurgessKoch
When, in November 2016, Nikki Haley was nominated U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Professor Charles Tiefer of the University of Baltimore reacted with outrage.
"No one in the United Nations," Tiefer said, "will think that Haley is someone to talk to who will be either knowledgeable or close to the president."
Tiefer must feel a bit stupid right now.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonexaminer.com ...
In just a few months at U.N. headquarters, Haley has distinguished herself. Indeed, at this pace, Haley is on course to become the finest U.S. ambassador to the U.N. since Adlai "don't wait for the translation!" Stevenson. When you consider that Stevenson left Manhattan in 1965, Haley's impact is significant.
It has been forged by results.
Haley entered the U.N. to meet a world despondent at Hillary Clinton's defeat. In diplomatic circles, Haley was seen as a stick-figure of President Trump's patronage. Someone who had sucked up just enough to get a job and plush diplomatic living. Someone who would do little, leave office with another entry on her Wikipedia profile, and join the millionaire speaking circuit. Instead, Haley has won the respect of her fellow diplomats and rallied the world on both Syria and North Korea.
On Syria, while Haley has been unable to guide Trump away from appeasing Russia, she has nevertheless made a positive impact. In frequent, aggressive condemnations of Russia's support for Syrian President Bashar Assad's slaughter, Haley has prevented Russia from positioning itself as a moral actor on the Syrian civil war. That has long been a top Russian priority, but now it is dead. In turn, Haley has made the U.S. the leading voice for Syrian Sunnis. This is important for two reasons.
First, it represents the return of American moral leadership after eight years of Obama administration neglect. Second, it helps consolidate the Sunni-Arab monarchies in believing that the U.S. will not allow Iran, Assad, and Russia to set the path of the Middle East uncontested. That understanding matters because if they lack that faith, the Sunni monarchies will double down on groups like the Islamic State.
Similarly, on North Korea, Haley has built a close working relationship with other U.N. ambassadors, particularly those of America's European allies. This has allowed Haley to represent America's sense of urgency about North Korea in a more credible and effective way than other U.S. officials. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, for example, doesn't seem to know what to say.
Regardless, Haley's urgency allowed her to lay the diplomatic groundwork for Saturday's vote. She got global partners to pay attention to her, and then engaged them in a serious policy response.
The record is clear. Haley has already accomplished far more than most other well-known U.S. ambassadors to the U.N. That includes Madeleine "Rwandan" Albright, and Haley's predecessor, Samantha "wrote the book on anti-genocide leadership, but forgot it in order to join the Obama administration" Power.
Sadly, this reality is one that Haley's critics are struggling to accept. Last week, on ABC's "The View," for example, Haley was a top target of attack. Debating North Korea and the United Nations, supposed anti-racist Whoopi Goldberg kept calling Kim Jong Un "Kim Jong Jum Jum". But the entire panel also condemned Haley as a failure who is totally out of her depth.
There can be only one takeaway from such ignorance. "The View" panelists will invite Tiefer to join them next season.
Since I was a teenager I thought the UN should not exist - still do decades later. That said, many think Nicki Haley is doing as good a job as possible. Wondering what others think about her job performance.
I, too was surprised and disappointed when Nikki Haley was named UN Ambassador. Today I am overjoyed. She was a brilliant selection. Most of the President’s choices have turned out to be brilliant, some, well, we are waiting to see.
It would be hard to beat Daniel Patrick Moynihan or Jeanne Kirkpatrick. They were consequential. Haley hasn’t had the job long enough.
I think she’d be a better SoS than Tillerson. And I suspect it won’t be long until she makes the move.
Moynihan is the last Democrat I had a sliver of respect for.
Yep.
Kil was hard core. A superb ambassador.
I concur. Hard to beat Kirkpatrick - wish she had become President. Moynihan was one of the last liberals worth listening to and learning from. Both were outstanding scholars and servants.
I give her number 2, after Jeane Kirkpatrick.
Truly Russia and China make their own decisions, on North Korea, both countries set upon calculating their own strategic interests with Trump in the equation, not Nikki.
Nikki needs to be careful in seeming to appear like a wide eyed school marm spanking the bad boys in front of their peers. That can not be going over well in Russia and China.
In private negotiations at the UN, Haley is probably using Trump’s name a lot and his gravitas, rather than wagging her own finger in their face. Both countries know exactly what Trump is up against with this do-nothing Congress trying to impeach him.
I could be wrong but I think perhaps the two countries are responding to the president alone, maybe even throwing him a bone, in regard to NKorea. Nikki, not so much. Not these two global players. They have little use for women in the first place and have no intention of being schooled by one.
I saw her give a speech when I was in college. A towering intellect.
Really? Does no one remember Jeanne Kirkpatrick? Or Daniel Moynihan?
Same here.
She was awesome
One of the last patriotic Democrats.
Or John Bolton.
Here’s the full list of USA Ambassadors to the UN.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Ambassador_to_the_United_Nations
Jeane Kirkpatrick was one of a kind. Brilliant! The only woman I would have ever considered for President.
I think Ambassador Haley is doing well, though. Coming from a political rather than an academic background, she’s bound to be very different from Amb. Kirkpatrick.
John Bolton as the worst in history. He was supposed to close it down but he made the UN stronger. I wish he never had the position.
Haley has grown immensely as a public figure since she joined the Trump Train. She has grown wiser, more in stature and with a greater sense of dignity.
I would not be surprised if Trump saw something of himself in Haley and was grooming her for SoS and perhaps one day the Presidency
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