Chundles

I'm baffled by the bipartisan uproar over Barack Obama's recent comments that he might "refine" his strategy to end the war in Iraq and bring the troops home. The exact quote is as follows:

“My position has not changed but keep in mind what that original position was. I have always said that I will listen to commanders on the ground; I’ve always said that the pace of withdrawal would be dictated by the safety and security of our troops and the need to maintain stability," he said. "That assessment has not changed and when I go to Iraq and I have a chance to talk to some of the commanders on the ground, I’m sure I’ll have more information and will continue to refine my policies.”

First of all, what's so controversial about what he said? He'd be a complete moron to say that he was going to bring troops home immediately without regard to the broader situation on the ground. Second of all, he's never said that he would actually do that. So what's the big deal? The big deal is the fact that people think Obama is above politics, that he's a figure akin to Ghandi, Jesus Christ, Martin Luther King, or some of the other revolutionary change-makers throughout history. And that he can wave a magic wand and fix the mess in Iraq that we created. Neither are true, but that's not necessarily a knock on Barack.

Barack Obama is a politician. So far, he's shown himself to be a pretty good one too, although he hasn't been put to the test yet (a good campaigner and fundraiser does not a good leader make). Politicians change their mind all the time. They have to. The world changes constantly, and any policy maker who doesn't change with it will get left behind (at least that's that way it should be). So it's smart and responsible of him to say what he did. On top of that, the "system" requires politicians to do so to stay alive.

Our country and our government are not things from a fairy tale that can be changed at the drop of a hat. They are real, made up of flawed individuals (like all of us), and neither is easy to change. I support Obama's campaign, but let's be honest. The US is not a dictatorship, so the amount of change any one person can implement (without the support of the Legislative branch) is very, very limited.

It seems that Obamaniacs have created an image of Barack that he can never live up to--that he is capable of waving a magic wand and affecting the kind of change he's been campaigning about. I'm sorry to say that anyone who thinks that we can just up-and-up leave Iraq has no grasp on reality. You think our international reputation is bad now? Imagine what it would be if we did that and left the Iraqis, and the thousands of terrorists who've entered the country over the last 5 years, to fend for themselves. That would be stupid and irresponsible. We can develop and implement an exit strategy, but we can't just turn our backs and go home.

As I said, I support Obama. We need some new blood in Washington, and McCain is too close to the current administration for my liking. I just hope that the unattainable image of Obama created by his followers doesn't make it impossible for him to succeed. He's real, our problems our real, and it will take a lot of hard work to make even some of the changes he's talking about.