Nick Adams: Clearly, some of the posters here (and in Idaho overall) still believe in the conservative path—tax breaks, lower spending (except defense), restrictive social policies, etc. Others are embracing the liberal approach—wealth redistribution, increased government spending (except defense), inclusive social policies, etc. The question is—will DFO allow this blog to reflect the Idaho bias or will he create an environment where all philosophies are welcome?

DFO: Nick, in a word, the answer is yes. Via interaction on this blog, I've come to appreciate liberal positions more. Or more accurately view them with the same interest as conservative positions. Obama's spending worries me, for example. But I appreciate that he's a man of action. A bigger issue for me is tone. For months, I've been trying to rein in the insults. Some of you like to mix it up. But the majority of my bloggers, commenters and blurkers don't. Also, I will be focusing more on North Idaho than ever. Huckleberries has a habit of momentarily lurching one way. But it tends to achieve balance again in short order.