With all due respect, Minn, the purpose of that statement was to let everyone know that I can't compare the ease of the taildragger to the ease of a trike gear because I've never flown one. But in my limited experience I have had absolutely no trouble with the TD. But again I can't compare to a trike.
All of your comment are true of course but these are all things that just COULD happen in the right situation. There are many things that COULD happen if the conditions are right for just about anything you do. As another person said on this thread, most people only fly a trike plane as their trainer and never have another for the rest of their life. If you start on the trike you have to learn the tendencies of the TD anyway so you might as well start on one. Why relearn how to take off? But like you said, with the right TD and instructor this learning curve can be dramatically flattened. Of course no one should try to learn with an advanced taildragger but I see nothing wrong with say a 4*. As I said, I have the 4*40 which I learned on and it is a very stable aircraft and ground handling is very easy. A little right rudder when the tail comes up and you are skyward bound. The thing takes off all by itself. THe balancing act with the elevator is not even an issue. All you need to due is hold the slightest amount of up elevator and it's all done. How hard could that really be? You have to pull up elevator no matter what plane you fly anyway so what's the difference. The only nose overs I've ever encountered were on landing because of deep grass.
BTW, I think learning to drive with a stick shift is a good idea. But not if you live in L.A. or some huge city like that.
The key is to get an instructor and spend as much time with that person as you need and just have fun. As Minnflyer said, everyones learning curve is different and you know what capabilities you bring to the table. Are you coming into this cold turkey or have to flown a friends plane or spent time on a simulator. I just don't want every in the world to be scared of a taildragger.