A Moment For Change

By D.T. Holt

I’ve been thinking a lot about how to approach this final posting of the year. No matter what side of the aisle you’re on, there’s no denying that this was quite a year for politics. It is equally true that the coming year has the potential for greater challenges and more change than most of us have ever experienced. So, what to do, 2008 in review or preview the coming year? After careful consideration I’ve decided to sort of do both and actually do neither. Instead, I would like to talk about the opportunity that this moment in American political history affords liberals and conservatives alike to work together to face the uncertainties our future holds.

There are those in the liberal camp who have had sharp criticism for many of President Elect Obama’s proposed cabinet appointments. As a card carrying liberal (okay, we don’t really carry cards but, you get the idea) I have been concerned about the moderate nature of most of his choices. Many conservatives have expressed displeasure about the number of Obama appointees who played a major role in the administration of President Bill Clinton. Amazingly, these feelings are echoed by the liberals. I realize that to many conservatives, Bill and Hillary represent the very pinnacle of liberalism in America but, those of us who actually are on the left know that the Clintons are card carrying moderates.

So what should we do with our concerns? Should we give voice to our criticism? Absolutely, however we should also give the new president the benefit of the doubt. He does not seem to be surrounding himself with “yes men” but instead is making his appointments based on the expertise and ability to challenge of those he has chosen. It is often said that a smart leader should surround himself with smart people who disagree with him and on some level, this seems to be President Elect Obama’s agenda. Whether we agree or disagree with his political viewpoint, Obama’s willingness to embrace reasoned debate should serve as the bar that we should all strive to reach in the coming year.

My point isn’t that we should all put our beliefs aside and rally around the president. Nor is it that liberals and conservatives should stop fighting and “just get along.” In a few weeks we will inaugurate a new president and swear in a new session of congress. Given the current economic and social climate, we can no longer afford to weigh the decisions of our political leaders based purely on conservative or liberal ideology. We owe it to ourselves to strive for a more inclusive form of political discourse. We should demand and accept nothing less than reasoned debate from our leaders, fact based, intelligent criticism from the press and informed, active participation from our fellow citizens.