Steady as she goes

No doubt, some of the more extreme elements of Barack Obama's support base have been surprised by his Cabinet appointments thus far. Instead of radical change or a leftward veer, he has chosen moderates who seem poised to keep the nation on a more-or-less steady course.

We think that is good news. With two wars under way and an economy in trouble, this isn't the time for sudden shifts. And despite his campaign promise to bring troops home from Iraq within 16 months, the decision to keep Defense Secretary Robert Gates and to make Marine Gen. James Jones the White House national security adviser makes it clear the United States is not interested in a cut-and-run defense posture.

Clearly, there is a difference between campaign rhetoric and practical governance, and Obama's choices reflect that.

Hillary Clinton as secretary of state is by far the most interesting example. While trying to win his party's nomination, Obama criticized her as a foreign-policy lightweight. Those days are gone.

However, not only is she Obama's chief political rival within the Democratic Party, she is the wife of a former president who has international business dealings. When he was president, Bill Clinton sometimes had trouble keeping another former president, Jimmy Carter, from undermining his efforts in foreign countries. That kind of meddling can send mixed signals abroad.

Hillary Clinton has the smarts and the toughness to do the job. No world leader will have to research her background. She is familiar to all. Whether she can avoid her husband's conflicts and subordinate herself to Obama's policies remains to be seen. The former president can help her by staying out of the way.

The choice of Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano as homeland security secretary also is noteworthy. As chief executive of a border state, she is familiar with the issues brought on by illegal immigration. But her job entails much more than keeping illegal immigrants south of the border. Recent events in India demonstrate once again that terrorists have not given up. Napolitano must keep the nation safe from further attacks, as the previous administration did for seven years.

Significantly, the president-elect said he has deliberately chosen a Cabinet filled with strong opinions and that he values vigorous debate. He correctly noted that homogenous Cabinets can be handicapped by "groupthink," which could lead to bad decisions as alternatives and consequences are not adequately explored.

There is, of course, an equal danger in a Cabinet filled with strong-willed and independent people. An administration could suffer paralysis by analysis, wherein issues are studied to death while the parties seek an elusive middle road. The cure for that is a strong president who can study all sides, then make tough, unequivocal decisions.

We'll have to wait a little while to see whether Obama has what it takes to bring this Cabinet together for effective leadership.