[AnotherUnixGeek]

Could help her move up the political ladder

Two of the last three presidents we've had were governors. The last UN ambassador we had who went on to accomplish something was...actually, I can't think of any UN ambassador who went on to accomplish anything in politics. If this story is true, I don't understand Haley's thinking.

[ari-freedom]

True, I don’t know. It’s not like people think “Oh I have to have foreign policy experience in order to be a senator.”

[Pollster1]

“actually, I can’t think of any UN ambassador who went on to accomplish anything in politics”

Year Ambassador
1946 Edward R. Stettinius, Jr.
1946–1947 Herschel V. Johnson (acting)
1947–1953 Warren R. Austin
1953–1960 Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr.
1960–1961 James J. Wadsworth
1961–1965 Adlai E. Stevenson
1965–1968 Arthur J. Goldberg
1968 George W. Ball
1968–1969 James Russell Wiggins
1969–1971 Charles W. Yost
1971–1973 George H. W. Bush
1973–1975 John A. Scali
1975–1976 Daniel P. Moynihan
1976–1977 William W. Scranton
1977–1979 Andrew Young
1979–1981 Donald McHenry
1981–1985 Jeane J. Kirkpatrick
1985–1989 Vernon A. Walters
1989–1992 Thomas J. Pickering
1992–1993 Edward J. Perkins
1993–1996 Madeleine K. Albright
1997–1998 Bill Richardson
1998–1999 A. Peter Burleigh (acting)
1999–2001 Richard Holbrooke
2001 James B. Cunningham (acting)
2001–2004 John D. Negroponte
2004–2005 John Danforth
2005–2006 John Bolton
2007–2009 Zalmay Khalilzad
2009–2013 Susan Rice
2013– Samantha Power

For a position nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate, it seems singularly unimpressive. There are some impressive intellectuals with great minds, but that’s just about it. Other than 1971–1973 George H. W. Bush, none of them have gone on to a significantly higher role in government.