Political analyst and Peace College professor David McLennan said as a member of Congress and former first lady, Clinton’s strongest asset is that she already knows her way around.

"It's unusual but it's also a good selection,” he said. “I mean, it gives Barack Obama another person of stature in his administration."

McLennan said he thinks Clinton will help the administration significantly with its foreign policy.

"You're getting someone who's met most of the heads of state that she's going to be interacting with,” McLennan said. “So part of it is, she comes in not only with the name, but the experience.”

That experience was likely also a key determinant for Obama in his decision to keep current Defense Secretary Robert Gates in place.

"He provides that transition, he provides that experience in national defense,” McLennan said. “And then you start looking at the national security advisor, former Marine General Jones, the package is starting to look very good."

N.C. Democratic Party Chairman Jerry Meek said Obama's “choice of Senator Clinton as Secretary of State and retention of Defense Secretary Robert Gates shows considerable pragmatism in the face of the urgent foreign policy challenges we face."

But North Carolina Republican Party leaders are quick to point out the ironies in choosing Clinton, who was critical of Obama's defense experience during the campaign.

"During the primary, they threw around about each other words like reckless and naive, irresponsible, and unwise,” NCGOP Communications Director Brent Woodcocks said. “So for them to be a team now going forward you have to wonder if they really have full confidence in one another."

The NCGOP did applaud Obama's choice of Gates. And McLennan said it’s likely the administration will choose more republicans for its team.

"It appears like this is not going to be a whole team of Barack Obama insiders in there but people who have disagreed with him over the years,” he said.

McLennan said it will likely take six to eight months after Obama's inauguration to begin to see how his choices are performing.