Obama Is Better Than McCain. Period.

Forget FISA. Forget Heller. Forget campaign finance. Forget comments by Wes Clark and photo-ops with Muslim women.

Obama is still better.

And it's time for those who loved Obama most to remember that.

Remember the primary season? It wasn't that long ago.

You spent hours at the phonebanks. You donated until your bank account was empty. You wore the t-shirts and the buttons; you proudly planted a sign in your hard; you stuck a bumpersticker on your car. Maybe two. You played that will.i.am video over and over and over again.

You admired him for his principles. You admired him for his convictions. You thought he was brave to take a stand against the Iraq war way back in 2002, when almost all the other Democrats -- including the other Democratic candidates -- hid behind their fear of being labeled "unpatriotic."

You fought against the Clinton supporters. You answered their concerns about the strength of Obama's convictions by quoting his books and providing links to his website.

Obama wasn't like the others, you said. He is not beholden to special interests. He is not on the payroll of the lobbyists. He is not afraid to take an unpopular position. Obama is not a coward; he is a leader.

You didn't want to hear the concerns. Or you didn't think they were valid. Or you didn't think they mattered, since Obama was still the best candidate in the field and infinitely better than McCain.

Some disagreed. Some didn't think he was the best candidate in the field. But that doesn't matter now. Short of replacing Obama with another nominee at the August convention, he's our choice. He's your choice.

And most of us, even the ones who weren't in love with him, fell in line once he secured the nomination.

I know I did.

And now there is disappointment? Now there is frustration? Because he is moving to the center, because he is making politically expedient decisions?

Of course he is. He's a politician running for president. The next six months are going to be about framing and positioning and yes, pandering. The next six months are not going to be about ideals or convictions or brave stances. The next six months are going to be devoted to winning the White House.

Complain if you want. Complain if it makes you feel better. Complain if you think it makes a difference.

But really, does it? Do you really think you are the ones he's trying to persuade in the general election? Do you think Obama is going to move further to the left now, after he has already won your endorsement? I don't.

I've been a doubter from the beginning, so the recent disappointments don't really disappoint me all that much. I don't like his position on FISA. I don't like his position on the Second Amendment. I don't like that he's distancing himself from Muslims. I don't like that he's distancing himself from General Clark's statements, with which I agree.

But I don't care. This is the Obama I've seen all along. A savvy politician with whom I agree on most, but not all, issues. His latest statements and positions do not surprise me; they merely meet my expectations. And I'm not going to waste my time and effort condemning him now. What's the point? I'm going to vote for him in November anyway. I'm going to do what I can to help defeat McCain. FISA isn't going to make the difference for me this year.

The point, as Hillary Clinton has been telling her supporters, is that there is a world of difference between Obama and McCain. And since I do not want President McCain to invade Iran or pack the courts with conservative ideologues, Obama is my only option.

And that's fine with me. I had my opportunity to vote against him during the primaries. And I did just that. I had my opportunity to raise concerns about him during the primaries. And I did just that.

But now? Now, when it's Obama versus McCain? The question of who causes me greater concern is pretty easy to answer. It should be an easy question for any Democrat to answer.

And between now and November, that's really all that matters to me.

So, here's the point:

Obama is better than McCain.

And so I will vote for him, despite my concerns, my reservations, my complaints, my disagreements, my disappointments, my questions, my hesistations, and which way the wind is blowing.

Obama is better than McCain.

It's what many Obama supporters pointed out as the primary season came to a close and there was some concern about those few Clinton "supporters" who were threatening to vote for McCain instead. And they were right. Anyone who truly supported Clinton can easily see that Obama shares their values much more than McCain does.

Obama is better than McCain.

Do the specifics even matter? To me, they don't. My mind is made up. I know how I'm voting in November. What happens between now and then doesn't mean much to me.

Of course, once Obama is in the White House, I'll be keeping a careful watch. I'll be doing my part to question the decisions he makes. I'll be doing my part to push him to the left. I'll be criticizing him when he's wrong, and praising him when he's right.

But that will happen in January. And we have a long battle ahead before we get to January.

So to quote the many Obama supporters who have often quoted Bill Clinton, it's time to fall in line.

Obama is better than McCain, and so I will vote for him. Period.

[Cross-posted at DailyKos]