Obama: Politican not Savior

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Any Obama supporter prepared to retract their support for the candidate because of his seemingly inconsistent positions on the D.C. gun ban, the Death Penalty, Campaign Finance or even the War, is making a naive mistake.

Obama may change politics but he will not raise above it. You don't get elected into a political office by being apolitical. The mistake many of my friends are making is that they are confusing a political campaign with a social movement. Let's be honest. Unlike Gandhi or King who targeted systems and empires, Obama's target is ultimately a political seat. A seat which will allow him to do a lot...but not that much. Come on, this is America....checks and balances are in full effect. A president would have to commandeer the Senate, Congress, Supreme Court and all 50 state governments to bring about the sort of change so many Obama supporters seek.

Remember, Gandhi, by unlocking the power of shared humility and non-violent aggression, embolden an ENTIRE NATION to overcome the British empire. King, using many of Gandhi's tactics emboldened millions of PEOPLE to take to the streets and engage in the only thing that can radically change a nation...self-sacrifice on the part of its citizens, not it's leaders.

What are Obama supporters willing to sacrifice today to radically transform this country? There's nothing courageous today about getting out to vote...or going to a rally...or wearing a candidate's t-shirt. The kind of radical change that people are looking for in Obama will only come from THE PEOPLE...from OUR willingness to sacrifice organize as people, not as Democrats and Republicans.

I love what Obama and his campaign have been about...I've been to the rallies...I rock Obama shirts...and I'll be in D.C. for the inauguration. Make no mistake, I want Obama to be the next president of the United States, but, unfortunately, that means he'll sometimes have to do things that disappoint me. You can't change the rules of a game in order to win the game. Politics is a game. Either Obama stays out of the game on principle or, like so many before him, he stays in the game and prepares himself for some compromises.

Obama is engaged in the political process to achieve a politic end. That means that sometimes it's strategy over stated principle. This disappoints a lot of us and understandably so. But if we want to see Obama in the White House come January of next year, we better wake up and realize what presidential politics in this country is really about; consensus building!

Presidential politics in America is simply a glorified high school popularity contest and the fewer you offend, the more likely it is that you'll win the contest.

There's a reason why every president since Washington has moved towards the political middle in order to win...it works! Ask Ross Perot or Ralph Nadar how far taking position too left or right of center gets you...ask Sharpton...ask Jerry Falwell (you know he ran, right?). They all failed to find that place where the masses of Americans occupy...the political middle.

Ultimately, Obama's contribution to America politics will turn on the quality he's avoided drawing attention this whole time; his race. Shattering the notion that anyone other than a white male can be elected President of the United States and, by extension, leader of the supposed "free world" is more significant than any policy or piece of legislation Obama will put into place as president. That's my opinion.

American politics progresses forward ever so slowly..the symbolic significance of an Obama victory will mark the most radical leap forward in a century. To be part of this momentous leap forward has been and will continue to be one of the greatest experiences of my life.

In order to keep hope alive in this election, we must learn to keep it real. And so the next time you hear someone lamenting Obama's metamorphosis into a politician, tell them that Obama's simply keeping it real.