More than 150 years have passed since a Secretary of State ascended to the presidency. There’s just something elitist—a little too think-tanky—about diplomats for ordinary folks’ tastes. When Obama handed Clinton the office after he kayoed her in the 2008 Democratic primary, though, he allowed her a dignified hand up from the canvas. It was understood that by enhancing her global stature and keeping her on the front pages, Obama was also positioning her as frontrunner to succeed him. But five years later, the office looks less than ever like a steppingstone to the presidency.Even without having been the US's top diplomat as Secretary of State, Clinton has had close connections to a variety of think tanks. She recently spoke at the Center for American Progress's (CAP) 10th anniversary event, and she recently won the Chatham House Prize 2013. For the CAP event, the think tank reportedly promised corporate donors a chance to meet Hillary Clinton in return for a $250,000 donation.
Earlier this year, Hillary Clinton gave her final speech as a diplomat at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). And in November, Hillary Clinton spoke about early childhood development in China and the US at the Brookings Institution.