2012

When this past week's New Yorker arrived with its profile of Mitt Romney and his campaign by Ryan Lizza, I thought to myself, "Interesting, Lizza just had another article recently." Then I thought, "Oh, I should really read this." And then it hit me: The election is now. I mean, sure, it's still early, but, really, in six months, it's going to be all election all the time. Sarah Palin and Donald Trump stepping out for pizza will be just lunch compared to the truly trenchant analysis of, say, Michelle Obama's dresses and how often she's going sleeveless to flex her muscles on the campaign trail.

But really what the upcoming election brings home is how quickly time has slipped by since the last election. The 2008 primary - that primary! When it was over, there came the terrible, jaw clenching anxiety that would wash over me at the very flicker of a thought that Obama might lose the general election. And even though there's a lot I could gripe about when it comes to the administration, I won't, because fundamentally, it's not so bad and the thought of Obama losing in 2012 is completely, thoroughly, and deeply awful. (Full disclosure: I had to stop myself from writing "it could be much worse" because I want to be Positive! Because if Ralph Nader taught us anything other than seat belts matter, it's that election results really, really matter.)

Which is to say, "Time, she flies." And elections, they must be won, by our team.