At a recent fortnightly gathering of some of Washington's most experienced foreign policy experts, Zbigniew Brzezinski, the former national security adviserand chairman of the group, persuaded the 19 attendees to participate in a secret ballot.

They were asked which among the large field of Republican and Democratic presidential aspirants would be most likely to restore America's reputation in the world. Nine of the seasoned veterans voted for Barack Obama, the 45-year-old freshman senator from Illinois. Hillary Clinton, the most experienced Democratic candidate, received zero votes. Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York, polled highest among the Republicans with just two.