Clinton as U.N. Sec General?

[EmperorHasNoClothes]

Just hear this on MSNBC. Koffi Annan's term is up in '06, apparently Clinton is priming for the job. Sorry, no link.

[David Dunham]

1. Kerry must win for Bill to get US support.

[aquart]

2. My god, the stress.

Don't you have to be from a minor, third world country to get that job?
Oh, wait.

[TheDebbieDee]

3. LLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOoooooollllllllllll !

A minor, third world country is exactly what * has made us.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

4. No, there's an informal custom of taking turns among regions, but

nobody from a major world power has ever been Secretary-General. The idea is that someone from a small country is more likely to be trusted by all sides in a dispute.

They're all from places like Norway (Trygve Lie), Sweden (Dag Hammarskjold), Burma (U Thant), Austria (Kurt Waldheim), Peru (Javier Perez de Cuellar), Ghana (Kofi Annan), or Egypt (Boutros Boutros Ghali). If any place is overdue for a chance at the Secretary-Generaliship, it's Asia, since U Thant left office over thirty years ago.

[DemFromMem]

6. Well, sounds like the politics may have changed

MSNBC is reporting a UPI story I can't find yet. Apparently, according to the story, Clinton enjoys a lot of support from member countries. The problem is more domestic - Bush would very likely oppose. A President Kerry would presumably be better for Clinton's prospects.

The list you provide - very helpful thanks - does not show a North American. Why is North America not deserving of a turn? Please don't tell me that Peru counts as our region. It is not.

[lazarus]

5. I've been a proponent of this for years

He'd be perfect. He's trusted by virtually everyone, and the right wing would have a collective hissy-cow.