Obama kept him only because he thinks there is a significant chance of an international crisis on the horizon.
This also enables Obama to put more of his focus and energy on the economy when he takes office. Either way, I am encouraged that Gates is staying in...he really is the ideal public servant and leader who always puts America’s best interests forward in whatever decisions he makes. Have you seen the video footage of him speaking about the Lion of Fallujah? He seems like a genuinely good person...you really don’t see people the caliber of Gates very often in leadership positions anymore.
As a side note, if you haven’t seen it already, probably the most useful speech I have seen from Gates regarding how he thinks and how he runs a war, is his speech given in Colorado at the Broadmoore early this summer.