I had it all wrong. All these “movie”:http://www.totalwonkerr.net/1878/state-craft and “TV metaphors”:http://www.totalwonkerr.net/1874/actually-its-simple are way off. It’s music. Take it from “the lady herself”:http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2009a/02/119430.htm:

QUESTION: : Just a little bit more on the special representatives and envoy. So they take this portfolio, they do this. How do you view what you do then? I mean, I know we’re going to the Middle East, but do you come in when there’s progress, do you come in as – describe how you —

SECRETARY CLINTON: But Martha, I don’t think there is one-size-fits-all. I think that I’ve tried to hire the best people that I can get in the Department, and I’ve tried to recruit the best people that I could convince to take on some of these especially complex portfolios. They work for me and for the President. They report to me and to the President. And we’re in constant contact about what they’re doing, where they’re going, what options they see. So ultimately, I’m accountable because these are my choices and I have chosen to organize the work we face in this way.

But it’s going to be different depending upon the situation. And so I don’t think there’s any way to say, well, this is how it’s going to work because it’s more like jazz; you’ve got to improvise, you’ve got to have people who are both great individual and ensemble players.

You heard her: we’re making it up as we go along.

It’s the new candor, folks. Get used to it…