Choosing the Next U.S. Secretary of State

The Foreign Policy Advisors 2008 site and the Foreign Policy Advisory Index from National Interest magazine keep track of who has the presidential candidates' ears on foreign policy. And somewhere on those pages may lurk the name of the next U.S. secretary of state, the most important position (after the president, of course) in the creation and implementation of America's foreign policy.

And don't forget, according to the Presidential Succession Law of 1947, the secretary of state is fourth in line to succeed the president behind the vice president, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and the president pro tempore of the U.S. Senate.

As we hurtle closer to November 4, 2008, I am ready to start speculating about who will succeed Condoleezza Rice at the State Department. Below are some potential nominees which came to my mind and some others suggested by colleagues. Each name links to a brief biography. And yes, there is some overlap in the lists. A President Barack Obama might need to reach out to a Clinton adviser. And there are a handful of foreign policy gurus which could cross party lines and serve either a Democrat or a President John McCain.

So what do you think? Review the names and make your prediction here.

In a Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama Administration

• Joe Biden
• Wesley Clark
• Chris Dodd
• Lee Feinstein
• Chuck Hagel
• Richard Holbrooke
• John Kerry
• Tony Lake
• Richard Lugar
• George Mitchell
• Samantha Power
• Bill Richardson
• Dennis Ross
• Strobe Talbott

In a John McCain Administration

• Richard Armitage
• John Bolton
• Nicholas Burns
• Chuck Hagel
• Zalmay Khalilzad
• Richard Lugar
• John Negroponte
• David Petraeus
• Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
• Randy Scheunemann

Take the poll and pick the next U.S. secretary of state.

Don't see your favorite potential nominee here? Let me know.