If Barack Obama is able to put the ideas contained in this document into action in a way that does not take more power out of the hands of the American people or cost them more, then he has scored his first, cautious support from me. I have long supported the idea of expanded options for national service, especially in return for easier access to higher education, and if Obama follows through, then I can see myself adding my support to this idea.
I admit that I came across this proposal of Obama's not on my own but because of the diligent work of a fellow blogger (HT: Scott) who sought to diffuse my instinctive reaction to a sound bite taken out of context that potentially frames Obama as saying something he did not mean in the way the sound bite makes it sound like he meant it. I also want to point out that it is this very kind of thing that has the potential to get Obama in all kinds of trouble with the 48 percent of people who did not vote for him in the same way his careless comment to Joe the Plumber did (I think the election would have been less close if not for that gaffe).
Here are two other things that I think highlight the potential for future debate:
First, I think it is possible to disagree civilly with the ideas of a president without the disagreement degenerating into a shouting match. Granted, future disagreements may not result in a change of mind (just wait until we get to socialized medicine), but I think the potential exists.
Second, I asked a question, argued my point, and was convinced of the point made by someone who disagreed. While I do not promise this will always happen (in fact I generally think it will not), I think it demonstrates that at least one "conservative" is capable of the kind of rational thought people of that political persuasion are often accused of not having.
I point these things out because I think it is important to remember that those in the "opposition" are always looking for ways to bring the debate to the center. Issues like these present great opportunities for centrism if they are taken.
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I was certainly impressed by the tone of your conversation with Scott. At first, it looked a lot like you were more inclined to be vigilant about Obama than you ever appeared to be about Bush, but it is nice to know your mind can be changed.
For what it's worth, I think Emerson was right. I also think it is great to see how this blog operates when the power is in the other hand, so to speak. I think for all involved it is making for a richer, more civil and respectful discussion of issues.
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