I TOLD YOU SO

See those words up there? 'I told you so'? Yeah, I'm one of those people who has no problem saying them with prefacing it with, 'I hate to say this, but...'

Me, nine weeks ago:

The fact is that Barack Obama is a politician, and people who fail to see or acknowledge that are fooling themselves. Sorry to be blunt, Obama fans, but it's true. You don't become a United States senator and, possibly, president without being an adept politician. You probably can't even get elected to the town board without being an adept politician.

Let me add that 'politician' is not necessarily a bad word. It was, at onetime, my career of choice. A good politician knows how to mesh his or her principles with effective persuasion. A good politician knows how to prioritize, and that at times when has to lose a battle in order to win a war. And above all else, a good politician knows that his or her agenda doesn't play out in a vacuum...

Welcome to the way things are, kids. Barack Obama already knows it; his supporters should, too.

For some unfathomable reason, I caught some grief for my comments. How dare I call Barack Obama a politician?!!!!

A few reports from the trenches over the past couple of weeks:

Realpolitiking Continues: Obama Drifts Right On Abortion (7/8/08)
the bloom is off the rose (7/4/08)
Obama In Another Flip-Flop Flap (7/4/08)
Obama Runs to the Middle (7/3/08)
Backlash On Obama's FISA Flip-Flop (7/2/08)
Obama Backs Expanded Government-Funded Faith Organizations (7/1/08)
Obama: Dems need to court the fundies (6/28/07)
Why yesterday's sellout was not like any other sellout (6/20/08)
Barack Obama, politician (6/19/08)
Barack Obama Slams Broken Public Financing System, Opts Out (6/19/08)


Now, let me note here that none of this bothers me. Barack Obama has to do what he has to do if he wants to win this election, and most certainly has done the same thing in past elections. It's just the way it goes.

But am I enjoying the pain of the True Believers? Does a smile creep across my face as their bubbles of naivete pop?

Uh... yeah, sorry. My bad. But I'll make sure I get the smirk off my face before I drive over to meet them in the Real World Welcome Wagon.

Barack Obama may very well be a 'different' sort of politician, but he's still enough of a politician to know that your goals and dreams and hopes mean absolutely nothing if you don't get to sit in the Big Comfy Chair.