Remember last year? Remember when gas was less than $3 a gallon, John Edwards seemed slightly less creepy, and Hillary Clinton was Apollo Creed, War Admiral, and last season’s New England Patriots all rolled into one big sports cliché?

A lot has changed since then. Barack Obama won the Democratic nomination with a unique and incredibly effective primary campaign. He projected a special appeal that brought rural and urban voters together. He broke trend and emphasized many small donations over a few huge ones. Most importantly, he injected enthusiasm and excitement into a process that has long lacked both.

My question is: Where has it gone?

Barack Obama campaigns in Iowa in March, 2007. Photo courtesy of IowaPolitics.com on Flickr, licensed under Creative Commons

What happened to the loftily worded speeches, the hopeful commercials and the chanting crowds? Obama has gone from a fresh, electrifying presidential candidate to, well, just a presidential candidate.

The logic behind the change is understandable. A primary election is smaller and more contained, and the candidates need to cater solely to party supporters. Kitsch and gimmickry can work well in this setting, but common practice would indicate that the general election demands a higher degree of professionalism and tact.

This campaign, however, was supposed to move beyond (to borrow one of the senator’s favorite phrases) “politics as usual.” He held that promise throughout the primary, and the results were magical. Moving rhetoric and a positive tone allowed him to defeat the Clinton political machine, arguably a tougher challenge than beating McCain come November. Sure, conventional wisdom would indicate that the campaign strategy would need to change, but this candidate spent more than a year fighting conventional wisdom leading up to his primary victory. An old adage comes to mind: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

As we approach Election Day, though, it’s clear that Obama has turned his back on the tactics that won him the nomination. Attack ads and potshots from aides have taken the place of idealistic promises. Even his acceptance speech at the DNC was measured at best and bland at worst, especially in comparison to previous tours de force. Campy as it may seem, when was the last time one of his crowds rolled out the “Yes we can!” chant?

The point is that people like to be a part of something bigger than themselves. It’s the reason so many people show up for church on Sunday, the reason we donate to charity or sign up to do volunteer work. The beauty of Obama’s primary campaign was that supporters weren’t campaigning for him; they were campaigning with him. Every chanting citizen in those crowds in Iowa felt a connection that a traditional political campaign just can’t bring.

When voters see a scathing commercial about John McCain’s computer illiteracy, there is nothing there for them to personally connect to. When Obama dials down the inspiration in his stump speech to avoid sounding too highbrow or idealistic, he fails to create the impact that makes listeners view him as something more than just another politician. Instead of proving why he’s better, he’s fallen into the trap of attempting to prove why his opponent is worse. Where he used to yell “Yes we can,” Obama now turns to McCain and chants, “No he can’t!”

The shift in tone knocked Obama from extraordinary to ordinary. His transcendent campaign made him the clear frontrunner at first, but bringing his tactics down to McCain’s level negated that advantage. Luckily for Obama, the latest economic downturn, however, has breathed new life into the campaign. “Fired up” or not, the Illinois senator has regained a comfortable lead. Had he been as politically transcendent as he was in the primary, though, he wouldn’t have had to rely on Wall Street’s ineffectiveness for a boost. Plenty can still happen between now and November, and running a whitebread campaign like those in the past means the door is always open for results like those in the past.

There’s still time left to recapture some of that magic, though. The charm of the primary is ripe for a comeback. Becoming a president who rejects the politics of old means running a campaign that does the same. Reverting to his original tactics would spell victory for Obama, and that’s a change we can believe in.