Former Diplomats Endorsing Obama

I have avoided discussing the upcoming presidential elections for obvious reasons.

Ultimately, it doesn't matter professionally. As Foreign Service Officers, our job is to carry out the foreign policy of the president, no matter who that president is. It is one of those deal breakers. If you can't do it, regardless of your own opinion, look elsewhere for employment. What this means is that every single foreign service officer either has or will serve under a president with whom he or she doesn't agree. It is the nature of our service, and most of us, me included, are okay with that. It also, in my experience, has meant that some of the most civil and intelligently argued political disagreements I have had have been with other FSOs. It is one of the things I like about the service. Politics are not neccessarily personal.

That said, I didn't feel like I could not mention something discussed on several of the blogs I read regularly. There is now a new group of more than 200 former Foreign Service Officers who have started Foreign Policy Professionals for Obama. Among them is Avuncular American, who I regularly read and occassionally quote, and WhirledView, who falls into that same category for me, has been asked to sign on as well. Undiplomatic endorses it but hasn't signed on because he was a political appointee and not an FSO.

Obviously, I make no recommendations about Foreign Policy Professionals for Obama other than to remind current FSOs that this is a group for former FSOs and they should carefully read the Hatch Act before becoming involved with any political campaign. But if you would like to read more about the group, you can do so here.