A pause about Obama

Happy as I am that he is the Dem candidate, this short piece by Virginia Postrel, suggests something to watch for in an Obama presidency. Postrel is the author of an important book, The Future and its Enemies, explaining how conservatism tends to dampen creativity and innovation. In today's blog, she quotes a passage from Dreams from My Father that describes Obama's emotional reaction to impending change that modernization would bring to traditional cultures. I do think Obama will welcome what Postrel calls "dynamism" but this excerpt strikes a cautionary note. What gives me hope is that he ran on a platform of "change," and showed compassion for those who have suffered from the past 8 years of idiocy. Progress - even survival - involves change, and though it can be scary when our familiar conditions are threatened, great leadership comforts while it guides into a new era.