Is campaign financing for real. Depends on who you are and a whole lot more.

Since the inception of public financing of presidential campaigns, every candidate, whether Democrat or Republican, has accepted public financial support of their general election campaign.

Democrats in Congress back in the 1970s were out in front continuously beating the drum that public financing of campaigns was the way to get big money out of politics.

John McCain was one non-Democrat who went along and supported the original legislation, including the more recent McCain-Feingold bill.

In the run-up during the primaries, Barack Obama “vowed” that he would join John McCain in accepting public financing in order to limit big money donations.

But that changed last Thursday, when Obama said he “was forgoing more than $80 million in public financing.”

On the left hand, Obama’s decision — perhaps an indicator of the change he has been speaking about — means he can “tap unlimited private cash” for the general election campaign.

On the right hand, McCain’s response was accurate, right and proper given his prior commitments.

When asked by reporters in Minnesota about Obama’s reneging on his earlier commitment, McCain said, in his typical matter-of-fact way: “Obama said he would stick to his word. He didn’t.”

There just may be more to this than the obvious. Obama has received record donations, large and small, during the primary campaign. He and his subagents understand that while the reversal opens him to charges of hypocrisy, Democrat party chieftains and their hard-left supporters smell victory in November. So, they want to open the faucet to the money pipes of deep pocket donors from Wall Street to Hollywood, as well as George Soros and others, who will ante up millions of dollars more, not to mention the numerous far-left organizations including MoveOn.org that have already funded numerous attack ads against John McCain.

And, as one party strategist put it, the “issues of campaign finance do not rank high in most voters’ minds.”

That may be true about Democrat party stalwarts. But to independent voters, it could prove to be yet another indication that the first-term junior senator from Illinois may not be the individual he has purported to be.

Consultant Larry Makinson, who tracks campaign donations on behalf of the Center for Responsive Politics, said “the amount Obama has raised from small contributors has been unprecedented. That’s true.

Makinson added, “And, he got there by snubbing the campaign finance system.” That’s also true.

Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer “voiced dismay at Obama’s decision.” Wertheimer noted that “the conditions Obama had initially set for accepting public funds had been met.” That’s true, too.

But, Obama had different ideas — perhaps, all along.

As the media reported, “Obama told his supporters in a video message, “It’s not an easy decision, and especially because I support a robust system of public financing of elections.”

Is that so, Mr. Obama? Then, why not stick to the vow made previously?

Obama continued, “But the public financing of presidential elections as it exists today is broken, and we face opponents who’ve become masters at gaming this broken system.”

Ah, Mr. Obama blames his opponent, and offers him (McCain) as the reason for his about face.

Hmm, let’s see, Obama’s opponent is John McCain, the maverick U.S. senator, who happens to be the same McCain, who is the co-sponsor of McCain-Feingold. Did Obama and his people forget that fact?

Moving on.

What did McCain and Russ Feingold have to say?

Feingold said, “This (Obama’s) decision was a mistake.”

It is. It goes to the very foundation of everything Obama has said, and wanted voters to infer from what he has said, during the primaries.

McCain, playing nice, said, “This election is about a lot of things. It’s also about trust. It’s about keeping your word.”

Yes, folks, it is about trust and a whole lot more. And, Barack Obama just broke his word.

Perhaps insightfully, the word Obama choose to use when he originally made his commitment to McCain was “vow.”

Americans now know that Barack Obama broke his word; and, they know the particular word that was broken by Obama.

Sigmund Freud may be smiling.

Richard Olivastro is a professional member of the National Speakers Association, president of People Dynamics,an executive leadership development company, and founder of Citizens For Change. He can be reached at Rich@Olivastro.net or 877-RichSpeaks.