Democrats are in their quadrennial panic. If self-flagellation were an Olympic event, we’d win the gold every four years.

Yes, McCain’s pick of Palin changed the race. Yes, Obama needs to hit harder. Yes, Joe Biden’s right: Hillary would have been a better running mate. Even Tom Friedman is calling Obama a wuss, for Pete’s sake.

But Democrats need to step away from the ledge. Obama is not Al Gore or John Kerry. David Axelrod & Co. are not the same set of squabbling, egomaniac Washington consultants who sank the party in 2000 and 2004.

The national polls were bound to get – and stay – tight. This is a 45-45 country. The polls are the same every presidential race. Remember, only about 10 states – probably not including North Carolina – will pick the President.

Obama has been through this before. Last year his supporters were in a panic that he wasn’t being tough enough on Hillary. Obambi, they called him. Ask the Clintons how that worked out.

Obama is showing the right tone and the right amount of fight. And he has the right message: Enough.

The Republicans’ attacks give him openings. McCain doesn’t think young children should be taught when and where physical touching is wrong – in a program approved by parents, teachers and doctors? He calls that “sex education?” With a little more sex education, maybe Sarah Palin wouldn’t be going from gun-totin’ hockey mama to grandmamma.

Speaking of Palin, remember this iron law of politics: The higher you rise, the bigger a target you become. Obama shouldn’t wait for the media to take her on. But her day is coming fast.

My bet is that Obama does fight back – the right way. The panic will pass. Then we’ll all settle down until the debates.

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