This is what Professor Mary Beth Glendon

walked out on at Notre Dame yesterday....
A plea for civility and a rigorous debate.

So given the content of President Obama's speech may we infer that Professor Glendon (and her cheerleading squad seemingly headed by the Globe's laughing young senescence, Jeff Jacoby) has no interest in a civil tone or a reasoned debate?
It wouldn't surprise me, most anti-abortion zealots are interesting in conquering power and bossing people around, not in sissy stuff like debates. They have a Mongol diplomat's view of negotiation; "we are strong you must obey, we need not listen to those we think weak".
Curious notion from a GOP cohort that has been bitterly and thoroughly repudiated at the ballot box.
Meanwhile, every time Obama speaks, he makes friends. He seems sufficiently wise to the fact the center isn't a position it's a electoral cohort that is created by politicians. In this case, the President is laying claim to the center but also nudging it leftward by increments. He did not abandon his own views he merely asserted the primacy of civil and reasoned debate, the other side abandons the center thus when they impotently cry for conquest and domination.
No Obama didn't cram it down anyones throat yesterday in his speech but his civilized and earnest tone probably won him new supporters. Speeches like that don't do much for PAC's and the beltway crowd, but they do build up a President's coalition...and that mah frenz is a good thing.