Deutch predicted that Carter’s Senate confirmation “will go very smoothly because he’s a known quantity for the committee.”

However, not everyone predicted a straightforward confirmation process. Samore said he thought that there was potential for the confirmation hearings to be used to “air other issues” regarding the administration’s current campaign against Islamic extremism.

Former HKS lecturer and Obama administration colleague Juliette N. Kayyem said that Carter’s potential appointment would come with added responsibility to bring stability to the defense bureaucracy, given that Carter would be Obama’s fourth defense secretary.

“There’s issues about wars, there’s issues about integrating women, but I think the most important thing is stabilizing the ship,” Kayyem said, adding that Carter is able to avoid getting bogged down in day-to-day decisions.

“Ash uniquely has the ability to look past the tyranny of the inbox...and think about the department and position it for the next 20 to 30 years,” she said.

—Staff writer Forrest K. Lewis contributed to the reporting of this story.

—Staff writer Ivan B. K. Levingston can be reached at Ivan.Levingston@thecrimson.com. Follow him on Twitter @IvanLevingston.