Mercy

There was rain yesterday in fine and strong amounts. It was the kind we needed–the rain fell most of the day in consistent and steady showers. Occasionally, it would get heavy, but never torrential. It was perfect. We need about 10 more days of it, of course, and whether or not we get them is up in the air–but, there was rain.

The rain led me to ponder, as I got my head outside of student publications for a moment, about the race for the Presidency. The rain’s consistent pattern, a word anyone who lives here would use to describe it, is the word that people are looking for when they elect a President. And therein lies the problem…

It is far, far too early to be starting the run-up for the election and I think there is a very real risk in starting this early. But Professor Gingrich is right, the candidates risk losing momentum. The Presidential elections are already marathons of fund raising and campaigning and to start now may prove the undoing of the contestants. They also risk, of course, alienating voters because, as near as I can tell, the only people really interested in this early and somewhat goofy beginning for the 2008 race, are political junkies like me–and even I am sick of it to some level.

So, a steady rain of money, message, maturity and mass appeal are needed by the candidates if they intend to run this marathon. It’s a long haul–and one thing only is certain: A lot can happen before November 0f 2008.

Posted in Culture