Dear Presidential Hopefuls & Accompanying Media Circus: Please STFU

I can't take it anymore.

Instead of good guys fighting against good guys (e.g., Hillary, Obama Clash Over Iraq), wouldn't it be cool if the Democratic leaders would, you know, lead? And if the media -- the blogosphere included -- would stop feeding the flames by giving a crap about a race that's 20 months away?

I know the press wants the next year and a half to be all Election 2008, all the time. The ink wasn't dry on the 2006 midterm results before they started whipping up the frenzy over the presidential race. And what stories there are, already! Did you hear, one of 'em's a WOMAN! And there's a BLACK MAN! And a MORMON! How weird is that?! One campaign even hired a CONTROVERSIAL BLOGGER! WOW! OMG!! I think I just SHIT MY PANTS! WHAT COULD HAPPEN NEXT?!

Seriously. Think how much stronger the entire Democratic platform and party could be, if they'd focus half as much energy and attention on getting the country out of the various ditches Bush & Co. have driven us into, as they'll spend on jockeying for the White House. I mean, there is A LOT of work to do. If you pause to think about it for twenty seconds, and you can't think of at least five gigantic, generation-affecting issues that are totally ragingly out-of-control on fire, well, then as the bumper sticker says: you, my friend have not been paying attention.

What excuse do the candidates have for squandering their time like this? Why do people who think they're qualified to lead our nation think there's a minute to waste playing along with this freak show? Why do we let them get away with this? In what way is our democracy served by transforming these poor bastards into super-mega-media-freak caricatures of themselves for two years? And then we figure one will come out well-suited to be our head of state? Is everything just reality TV now? Is the makeup, the presentation and the staged, behind-the-scenes drama all that matters?

What a colossal fucking waste of time. Wake me on Labor Day, 2008. I'll try to give a shit then.