News media generally described Pope John Paul II as conservative, and conservative Americans were certainly quick to claim him as one of their own after his death (see Jon Stewart on the culture of life). However, in some areas John Paul II was very supportive of progressive priorities. He condemned the U.S. invasion of Iraq, and he was also quite critical of U.S. tendencies toward free market fundamentalism.
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who is one of the leading candidates to become the next pope, makes John Paul II look very moderate. According to an article in the New York Times, Cardinal Ratzinger has consistently held that Catholicism is the only valid religion. He has described Protestant Christian churches as "sects" that seduce members to join, and said yesterday to the Cardinals who have gathered to select the next pope:
"A dictatorship of relativism is being built that recognizes nothing as definite, and which leaves as the ultimate measure only one's ego and desires."
Strong words. It certainly sounds like he doesn't agree that ability to deal with ambiguity is a desirable trait.
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Yes, I hope the next Pope will not be going around carrying a laptop.
It's only now that I saw this blog, so I can tell you how things evolved. The answer to your question in the title is YES, the pope is vivibly more concervative. Joseph Ratzinger - also called by the press God's Rotweiler, is completely different from John Paul II; this is why many believe that he won't be so appreciate and so loved as his predecessor. However, unofficial sources call pope Ratzinger only a 'transition pope', as the age at which he was elected was quite old; the Vatican is actually preparing another pope who shall be in charge for a longer period, like John Paul II, for example.