With all of the campaign promises of getting out of Iraq and refocusing our attention on Afghanistan, or condemning the Bush Administration for its handling of foreign policy these last 8 years, it would seem counter-intuitive to keep someone at the helm of the Department of Defense that has been a part of that decision-making team. But this is exactly what President-Elect Obama seems to be doing with announcements that he is choosing to keep Defense Secretary Robert Gates on board initially on his cabinet.
What would be the motivation for this?
I would say the most pressing goal is consistency.
Obama made many promises during his campaign, and because of his genuine nature, I expect him to make good on those promises. One of the promises was to get out of Iraw responsibly. More important than just getting out to correct the fact that we entered under false pretenses, is making sure that there is as little chance for further challenges or losses by a hasty withdrawal. I think Gates provides that consistency for Obama, because we are “technically” in War times, and to change the Defense Secretary in the middle of a war period would be to create a huge learning curve for whoever the incumbent would have been. Planning an exit strategy needs an understanding of what areas are secure enough to vacate and what areas may need additional support in order to make withdrawal a safe option.
Also, from a political standpoint, this is fulfilling promises Obama made to reach across party lines. I must be honest, this is a breath of fresh air I am sure to people who began to see a consistent “Clinton trend” in the Obama administration picks. It looks like his National Security Team will have a variety of associations and personalities and ideologies on it when the final vetting and selection is done.
I think what is also most important is that Gates was the “clean-up” solution to bring in after Rumsfield . He has only been serving in this capacity since 2006, well after the decision-making machine that chose to initially pursue this course of action.
And also for a personal endorsement – I like this guys credentials. His story is also one that resonates with earning his appointment through hard work and dedication. He served in the CIA 27 years, and is the only officer in the history of CIA, to begin at entry-level and then rise all the way to Director of the entire organization. He has an impressive resume, and it is capped with an aura of dedication and commitment to public service.
Obama is moving fast now on his selections for his Cabinet. Once the all-star team is assembled, we will see what their plans are for moving the country forward economically, socially, and also in security.
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