If You Don't Have Anything Nice to Say...

I don't harbor any illusions about the Democratic primary; Hillary has the pole position in this race. For our man Barry to edge her out, he's going to have to be ten times luckier than he was winning his seat in the Senate--and he was damn lucky then. I'll support Obama to the very end (bought my t-shirt last week!), and do whatever I can to help his cause, but I also have realistic expectations. And if Clinton ends up emerging as the winner, then I'm prepared to back her with similar zeal going into the presidential election. Replacing the right-wing bozos who currently rule the roost in the White House may not cure all that ails the nation, but it's a vital step in the right direction, one whose importance should not be underestimated.

That's why I'm so irritated by this recent flap about the campaign getting personal and negative. Regardless of who comes out to rep the donkey in '08, they have to do it looking good. Bickering about the other candidate's shortcomings or mistakes now will give the Republicans ammunition for later, and will dampen voter enthusiasm in the places where it's most necessary.

And what I find so troubling about this flare-up is that it happened so effing early. Let us try to enjoy the afterglow of the presidential bid announcements, please. At least this garbage is coming out of each candidate's HQ, and not their own mouths. Hopefully, they can take the high road and kick this foolishness to the curb before it becomes a pervasive theme.