A strong message from a team of stars

BY THE TIME President-elect Barack Obama announced his national security team on Monday, the big names he had chosen for the premier posts were less newsworthy than the multiple messages the event itself sent.

Topping the list was a theme Obama took pains to underscore: He wants forceful personalities, strong opinions, and pointed debate in his administration.

"I think that's how the best decisions are made," he said. "One of the dangers in the White House, based on my reading of history, is that you get wrapped up in groupthink and everybody agrees with everything and there's no discussion and there are no dissenting views. So I'm going to be welcoming a vigorous debate inside the White House."

Groupthink, the tendency for members of a cohesive group to so value consensus that they discourage disagreement, overlook contrary evidence, and ignore expert opinion, is a pitfall that has beset any number of administrations.

The Bay of Pigs debacle during John F. Kennedy's presidency is one oft-cited example. The Bush administration's pursuit of war with Iraq is another instance of decision-makers who, steeped in their sense of certitude and purpose, arrive at erroneous conclusions. Add in other groupthink failings, like a selective consideration of information and such high confidence in bringing about a desired outcome that contingency plans aren't formulated, and the description seems apt.

Thus it's encouraging to see that Obama is aware of that potential peril. And that, unlike the current president, who made his annoyance with contrary opinion so apparent that he was left with an inner circle reluctant to give him bad news, he will welcome a diversity of views in his White House.

That declaration is given credence by Obama's willingness to appoint people who hold views different from his or who have criticized him in the past. Both retired General James Jones, tapped as national security adviser, and Robert Gates, who will stay on as secretary of defense, have cautioned against timetables for withdrawing US forces from Iraq, though the Status of Forces Agreement narrows the open water on that issue.

The appointment of Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, demonstrates not just tolerance for disagreement but magnanimity as well. During the primaries, Clinton repeatedly tried to paint Obama as a naif lacking the experience and judgment necessary to keep the nation safe. Choosing her as the public face of his administration's diplomatic efforts was a big, bold move. It shows a leader thick-skinned enough to shrug off past barbs and secure enough not to worry about sharing the spotlight with his famous former rival.

Smart and indefatigable, Clinton is a good catch. Yes, there was a Secret Life of Walter Mitty aspect to her campaign recollections of her foreign travels as first lady. But notwithstanding that, she was an effective goodwill ambassador during her husband's administration. Further, her 1995 speech in China highlighting the violence and oppression women still face around the globe was as forceful as it was important.

Another message was pragmatism, a word Obama used twice in his remarks introducing his team. No president can be nonideological, of course. Nor should he be. True leadership rests on a foundation of values. The danger, however, is in letting ideology trump analysis. The most successful presidents have been clear-eyed in assessing a situation for what it was and have put a premium on what worked.

Finally, in keeping Gates, Obama demonstrated that he recognizes the importance of bipartisanship, particularly in the conduct of foreign policy. Gates, who took over from the widely disliked Donald Rumsfeld, is well respected by both sides on Capitol Hill for the job he's done. His selection, like that of Jones, should also reassure the military.

Still, retaining a Bush appointee in such a prominent and pivotal post has predictably raised concern on the left, which doesn't regard Gates - or for that matter, Clinton or Jones - as representing real change. Thus it's a choice that showed Obama's willingness to ruffle some feathers in his pursuit of bipartisan support.

All in all, this is an impressive lineup - one that speaks well of its leader.

Scot Lehigh can be reached at lehigh@globe.com.