So This Is Obama's Post-Partisan "New" Politics?

Perhaps the most important result of John McCain's nomination of Sarah Palin for the Republican VP slot is how it has forced the rookie Senator from Illinois to behave in a natural, normal political manner.

That is, Obama is on the attack. Personal attacks. Likening his opponent's VP pick to an animal- a pig, to be specific.

This is the same guy who so recently promised 'post-partisan,' high-minded politics and campaigning. The same Democratic Savior who has promised to bring a new, positive-only brand of politics and governing to America.

Was anyone able to measure the half-life of his empty promises? He and his running mate, who, I think, most Americans would be hard-pressed to recall, or even recognize, are slinging mud at and smearing McCain and Palin as fast and hard as possible.

In short, politics as usual.

I happened to see a friend at my fitness club on Tuesday. He's a fairly liberal Democrat who was born in France. Despite our political differences, we have some interesting and constructive conversations.

He has lately, in his retired state, been taking American history classes. Just now, he's studying the politics of the early American Republic, post-Washington, but pre-Lincoln. As I expected, he related to me that today's politics- full of mudslinging, venom, and negative, ad hominem attacks- are not only in the tradition of American politics from the founding of our Republic, but pale in comparison to the antics of old.

Like Thomas Jefferson hiring third parties to smear his opponents.

If Obama were to have run a non-negative campaign, it would have indeed been the political equivalent of walking on water, or parting it.

Of course, as soon as the Illinois freshman saw his 'entitled' lead in the polls melt away with the arrival of Sarah Palin, he began doing to McCain and Palin what he claims Hillary did to him when she felt her rightful nomination as Democratic party Presidential nominee was slipping away.

He has authorized digging up dirt on his opponents. He has cried foul when they question his own motives, background and positions. He has departed from his own lofty themes of 'change' and big government programs- which he claims are all voters really want to hear- in order to personally launch attacks on Sarah Palin's life and person, rather than her record.

Clearly, Obama is running scared. Very, very scared. When you counted on being the fresh face, race or gender, and personality, to sweep all before you, and you are upstaged by another, fresher face, race or gender, what can you do?

Attack! That's what.

So much for Obama the change agent. The non- or post-partisan pol and would-be President. Ethics be damned, there's an election to win.

The good news is that, none too late, Obama has revealed himself as the average, normal, typical politician he actually is.

Will this drive his allegedly-energized base of newly-registered college kids back to campus on election day, disheartened at the fraud and deceit of the Democratic Presidential candidate? I'd bet it will, to a larger extent than Obama expects, and can afford.