There I was, popcorn in lap, watching the Republican presidential candidates debate last night on MSNBC when all of a sudden, about half-way through, it occurred to me: why in God’s name am I watching this? Why am I watching this large group of candidates discussing issues when the 2008 Presidential election is still more than a year away? When, outside of the politicians themselves, their operatives, political bloggers, and the cable networks, few – if any – are paying attention? Does anything most (if not all) of what these guys are saying even matter at this point? That’s when I shut it off and went to ESPN’s “Baseball Tonight”.

This election cycle is a process gone raving and drooling mad, and is nothing but a ginned-up state of affairs designed to extend the life of the pre-election money machines and fill the pockets of people who have little clue as to how most people in this country even go about their daily lives. Think about it – for all we know, the world could be a far different place at this time next year than it is now. On top of that, I doubt most people will even start paying attention to the election until after Labor Day, which is still more than TEN MONTHS AWAY! Yet here we are, with an endless series of tiresome, useless debates, press releases from candidates FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, and cable networks filled with breathless and redundant political talk. You’d think the election was weeks away!

Given that states have virtually climbed on top of one another to schedule their primaries so that the eventual nominee from each party will be known by Valentine’s Day, I can’t even begin to imagine what there will be to talk about between the end of the primaries and the end of the conventions. What a joke – is it any wonder people feel so detached and disenchanted with the state of politics in this country?

So count The Great White Shank over and out when it comes to paying close attention to anything that’s going on election-wise until Hillary and whoever start debating each other mano a mano on national TV. Because until then, none of this really matters.