Thursday, March 6, 2008

The difference between the last "uniter" and Senator Obama

Cass Sunstein, formerly a colleague of Senator Obama from the University of Chicago Law School, writes about Senator Obama actively seeking out opposing/alternative viewpoints.

Says Sunstein: "In the 2000 campaign, Bush proclaimed himself a "uniter, not a divider", only to turn out to be the most divisive President in memory. Because of his own certainty, and his lack of curiosity about what others might think, Bush polarized the nation. Many of his most ambitious plans went nowhere as a result."
As for Senator Obama - "I believe that his humility, and his intense desire to seek out dissenting views, will prove crucial safeguards [against the possibility of yes-men]."

I have heard Clinton supporters argue that the last "uniter, not a divider" - Bush-43 - was bad, and so the next "uniter" - Senator Obama - will be just as bad. Folks who hold such an opinion forget that Senator Obama is much more intelligent than President Bush. Sunstein's personal experiences suggest that such fears, over Senator Obama turning out to be another Bush-43, are baseless.

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