Bob Gates to retire next year; who replaces him?

[The Charnel Expanse]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/16/robert-gates-plans-to-ret_n_683134.html

Gates' retirement would certainly present the Obama Admin with a golden opportunity to shift course in Afghanistan. The question is, who out there has the military bona-fides to be confirmed for the SecDef post that ISN'T in favor of dragging out that war unnecessarily?

 

[Upchurch]

Totally read that as "Bill Gates". None of that title made sense.

 

[Darth Rotor]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/16/robert-gates-plans-to-ret_n_683134.html

Gates' retirement would certainly present the Obama Admin with a golden opportunity to shift course in Afghanistan. The question is, who out there has the military bona-fides to be confirmed for the SecDef post that ISN'T in favor of dragging out that war unnecessarily?

You completely miss the point.

Who can fill Secretary Gates' shoes in terms of pragmatism in the face of bitter ideological dysfunction in the American body politic?

 

[The Charnel Expanse]

You completely miss the point.

Who can fill Secretary Gates' shoes in terms of pragmatism in the face of bitter ideological dysfunction in the American body politic?

That too. But my principal concern is whether the next guy can actually guide a withdrawal from Afghanistan.

 

[Darth Rotor]

That too. But my principal concern is whether the next guy can actually guide a withdrawal from Afghanistan.

He won't have to, he has people in uniform to do that. His job is harder, mid to long term policy and programming, and where to spend a pile of loot that will be smaller than for the past ten years.

DR

 

[hgc]

There are so many possibilities, it's hard to pick out names. But another interesting question is -- Will he go again to a Republican?

This has been a point in liberal blog circles. They feel that when a Dem president chooses a Republican for Sec Def, it reinforces the notion that Dems are weak on defense, in that it makes it look like only a Republican can have credibility in that job. I can appreciate the sentiment, but I thought it was a good move to hold over Gates in the job.

Here's a post Josh Rogin at Foreign Policy from a few weeks ago discussing the candidates. He says the leader is Michèle Flournoy, Undersecretary for Policy.

 

[Puppycow]

Here's a post Josh Rogin at Foreign Policy from a few weeks ago discussing the candidates. He says the leader is Michèle Flournoy, Undersecretary for Policy.

A Frenchy? As a Jingoistic American, I will never stand for it!



ETA: Oh, it says she's American.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michèle_Flournoy