On the bright side....he’s probably too stupid to really screw things up as badly as someone who knew what they were doing.
I think that's what many Republicans thought all along. Better a fool with at least some actual military experience than the doctrinaire Marxist of color they would not dare turn down who they were likely to get as a second nominee.
I also think Hagel's Republican support was broader than the vote he got - many wanted to support him but voted against him to maintain plausible deniability at home.