I hate to make the race into a game. What’s at stake is so important, it’s just a bad analogy. That said, in games, you play to win the game (thank you Herm Edwards for that one). The one thing I worried about Barack Obama is that he wouldn’t do what was needed to win. No matter how good Obama makes you feel, if in January, John McCain is taking the oath of office, it makes no difference. This is the one thing that Clinton claimed that I believed. Sometimes I feel Obama doesn’t have the stomach for the dark underbelly of politics. This week by deciding not to take public money to finance his race made me feel as if he’s going to do what it takes.

Obama had to go back on his word; never a good thing for a politician. What Obama didn’t know when he made that pledge was that his method of financing through small donations would allow him not only to battle the Republican candidate, but it would also allow him to take on the 527s. The thing that Republicans bank on is that they’ll spend the $85 million allocated by taking public money, and the 527s such as the Swift Boat Veterans, will do the rest. They expected the Democrat to take the public money - and then bitch and moan about the attacks from the 527s. Obama hasn’t played by the rules. By continuing his method of financing his campaign, he gives his campaign a chance to battle toe to toe against the Republicans and all its henchmen.

It couldn’t have been an easy choice to make, because every politician avoids going back on their word; but this decision shows Obama is willing to make the hard decision. I could care less about a good guy that doesn’t take the White House from the long national nightmare.

This was a good week for Obama.

Sphere: Related Content