Albright spoke at the City Club of Cleveland for more than an hour on a wide range foreign policy topics, based on her four years as President Clinton's Secretary of State.
She told the crowd that even in difficult times the United States must continue to operate, as a world leader.
ALBRIGHT: The next American president will have a lot of weight on his shoulders. Even in the crowded heavens' of a multi-polar world, a North Star is desirable, and if the United States does not fill that role, I'm really at a loss as to who will.
Albright, who supports Barack Obama, said America should focus more on Pakistan and Korea than on Iraq, and pushed for a more conciliatory U-S presence in the United Nations. Speaking on domestic issues, Albright called this a crucial point in American history - no matter which man is sworn in next January.
ALBRIGHT: The expectations for the next president are huge. Because things are a mess. I have never seen a mess like this; it was a mess before two weeks ago, and now it's a bigger mess, and the financial crisis has international implications.
Earlier, the former Hillary Clinton supporter hosted an economic roundtable in Lakewood with Cleveland area women, to discuss Obama's plans for the global economy. During both talks, she took several shots at Republican candidate John McCain, but insisted that Americans should respect the Arizona Senator for what he has done - then look to the future.
