Yes, but if you read the text to which I refer, the USAF did not even want the F16 either; they did not have any affinity for lightweight fighters. The 16 and the A-10 were something that Boyd ramrodded through, thank goodness.
I understand the need for dual purpose, but you cannot sell short the CAS mission. And there isn’t much air to air in the foreseeable future. You will probably say China and Russia, but those scenarios, while possible, are unlikely. The need for CAS is ever present and not to be left to distant bombers or drones.
LRS bombers are decades away and the use of ‘drones’ is far off as well. Heck, we can’t even deploy a unmanned tank operating on a battlefield that is basically at 1-G, fore-and-aft, and around 20kts or so. . .imagine the difficulties of an RPV that is able to operate effectively in a 360 dimensional environment at near-sonic to supersonic speeds. . .and maintaining total situational awareness while employing ordnance and defending against threats. Enders Game-type of technology is necessary, IMHO.