One day after we reported that Sen. Hillary Clinton was in the running for Secretary of State in an Obama administration it has become clear that there are only two candidates left standing for the job: Clinton and Governor Bill Richardson.

Richardson is an experienced diplomat. He worked for Bill Clinton as Ambassador to the United Nations in the 1990s, for instance. Clinton, meanwhile, may have less direct foreign policy experience, but she is a well known and well respected figure around the world who has interacted with foreign leaders during the eight years her husband was president.

Many foreign leaders, especially here in Europe, respect Hillary Clinton tremendously. She was seen as the next president of America, and most were looking forward to that prospect. If she would now become SoS most European leaders would be delighted.

At the same time, leaders of enemy states will be less than happy. Iran, for instance, favored president-elect Barack Obama over Clinton because Obama was considered a dove, whereas Clinton has a reputation for being a realist hawk. If Clinton would become Obama’s Secretary of State Obama would send a message to countries like Iran that he is not as dovish as they may have hoped.

However, the question is not what Obama would get out of Clinton as SoS. It is clear that it would be quite beneficial for him. No, the real question is why would Clinton accept? Can’t she be more influencial in the Senate? If she becomes SoS, she will lose her Senate seat and probably never get it back. That would be a risky move for her.

True, but there is only so much one can do in the Senate. It is unlikely, it seems to me, that she will succeed in becoming majority leader, so she will have to be happy with being chair of a committee. Nice. But it is only a committee. If she wants to have a real, big impact, and function as an example to other ambitious women, she should accept the offer and travel around the world to protect America’s interests.

Career prospects in the U.S. Senate are limited for Clinton. Becoming SoS will boost her image, reputation, experience and, of course, set her up for a role as leader of the party, outside or inside Washington D.C., after an Obama administration, much like Madeleine Albright is now.