I'm pleased that Bernie's finally clueing in on how the game's played. He's discovered that Hillary's wrapping herself around Obama because that endears her to black voters, who make up a large core of the Democratic vote. He's also discovering that it's not so easy for him to do the same because she started courting the Big O 8 years ago, something an Independent might be loathe to do. And taking onboard one of Obama's fiercest black critics, Cornel West? Not likely to help, since he's about as popular with the black community these days as George Zimmerman. Bernie did hire a BLM member as spokesperson. But it's simply not the same thing.

My friend used to tell me, "to get where I am, I had to kiss a lot of ass - right on the mouth". He didn't say how much tongue was involved, but I figure enough - somehow he knew how to climb the ladder and survive, distasteful as it might be.

Bernie seems puzzled that his reasonable criticism of Obama has drawn such furor - but again, that's how the game is played. There's no fine-tuning this mess. Just as Hillary speaking to Goldman Sachs is evil or not, criticizing Obama is either speaking truth to power or beyond the pale, an attack. In the big leagues, compromise is who you do business with, not what you say about them. There's no such thing as "constructive criticism" in politics.

Al Gore backed away from the Clinton Administration in his campaign - and lost much of his power base. Sure, Bill Clinton was messy and impeached and triangulating and somewhat compromised. But he was also loved. People are better with flawed characters than fickle fair-weather ones.

Only a fool thinks that Hillary could take the Obama road in 2008 and then switch to something else in 2016. Especially not as a woman. Obama governed as a careful establishment & precedent heeding figure, and that's what Hillary inherited, both as foreign policy and domestic. She can extend and tweak, but a clean break would simply doom her.

But it's not all bad. Despite all the call for revolution, most of the public has an inherent understanding of the limits of our system. Hispanics aren't expecting a big kiss - they're hoping for some grudging acceptance. Blacks aren't looking for a renaissance - they're trying to survive, cover the basics and a little more. If it gets better than that, they'll surely be happy, but they're mostly just looking for a seat at the table. Women more than anyone know they'll still end up with the shopping and kids and dishes and judged on their looks, but a bit fairer shake, more equitable paycheck, more respect in the office and around town will make things nicer. That's it.

One of the key complaints of establishment politics is trying to please everyone - but that's also what's required to get elected and stay there, especially with high stakes national office and diverse constituencies. Even Obama did that, even though in his first campaign people seemed to judge him as a personal Rorschach test, believing him to be whatever they wanted him to be. Hillary doesn't have it so easy. She plays it the old fashioned way, paying attention to this group and that, being careful not to speak too loud or slight anyone - even though some people are anxious to be offended no matter what. So she pulls in political and union endorsements, pays attention to black and Hispanic and female and Jewish issues and the "white vote", deals with various industry groups from high tech to health care to financial to foreign policy, along with core issues in race, security, poverty, environment and economics. There's a lot of compromise there, which is good, because it's a lot better to nudge the ball forward a bit on all fronts than to hit a home run on one. You may not please everyone, but you can please most by a little bit, and that's generally good enough.

Ken Kesey described the great journalist Tom Wolfe in his impeccable white suit helping him move some still wet art piece and getting paint on him - "goddamn it, Tom, can't you see? you can't mess with it without getting a bit on you". Bernie's always been a bit above the fray - but it's rather hard to lead the fray if you're not one of them. And the fray is rather dismembered and impulsive and chaotic and self-contradictory. Somehow you have to split the middle of a vast bubbling moving target.

Hillary played the odds in 2008, and the odds again this year. At the moment she looks good to go, but you never quite know - it's been up and down the last 8 months, and could change any moment now. Some want you to succeed, some want you to lose - and the reasons aren't even all that consistent.

So Bernie's made a good go of it, but we'll see whether it comes together, or if he finds someone or something to wrap himself around when things turn tough, a mast to tie himself to on the high seas. I've noticed a few times that Hillary gets into trouble and she learns to hone her message, rediscover herself, and it's not just her - her followers have to find a new mantra and way of expressing her too. I imagine it'll be much the same with Bernie - that you don't leave the squall with the same ideals and outlook as you entered it with - I think Edgar Allen Poe summed it up with A Descent into the Maelström.

So lets hope Bernie enjoys his learning experience - it's great to speak in grand pronouncements, but another friend used to say "sell the dream, but close the deal". And that deal's usually a lot smaller and closer to home, to daily reality. For some it's disappointing, for others it's just how the world works - you pays your nickel and takes your chances.