I can stop anytime

It's an election year, and despite better efforts, I'm sure a political rant will crop up here every so often, starting with this one.

For most of last year, I wasn't paying much attention to the races. But then I hurt my foot and spent the days leading up to the IA caucuses stuck at home watching just enough CNN that, coupled with my NPR habit, pushed me from an ambivalent observer to a hopeless election news junkie. Over the past month, I've bookmarked political blogs, election '08 sections from the major news sources, and have been checking in on them far more often than I'd care to admit throughout the day. I'm watching CNN as much as your dad does. When Stewart lampoons network news clips, I've often seen the original broadcast. I turned down a night of drinking to watch the SC primary returns, candidate speeches, and analysis (okay, I was really tired too from a few 50+ hr work weeks).

Folks, if you're not paying attention, you really are missing something that at best will make history, and at the very least will be referenced heavily for years to come in discussions of politics and the nation. You could be experiencing all of it first hand, right now.

I can't conscientiously encourage the kind of habit I've developed, but research will surely show one day the benefits of recreational use!