Are We There Yet

For as far back as we all can remember, a common question from children, bored and impatient while on what seemed to them like an interminable car trip was "Are we there yet?" Currently, a TV commercial (for Mercedes automobiles) leverages on this query.

But forget the car trips. TNB's plaintive question concerning the election is "Are we there yet?" and if not, what's the delay?

Does it only seem like ever since the midterm elections, 23 months ago, the Presidential race has been in full swing? Honestly, do we need another debate, 18 more days of spin from both sides, tens of millions of dollars spent (in only 8 or 9 "swing" states--Illinois, New York, California, Texas and others  are alas losing out), dozens of E-mails, robocalls, etc. to persuade "undecided voters",  assuming there are such creatures existing who might actually go to the polls on November 6th.

Haven't we heard enough ad nauseum about the economy, jobs, taxes, Libya, women's rights (why should this even be an issue in 2012?) etc. Strangely, what TNB hasn't heard enough of is the potential and likely effect of this election on the makeup of the Supreme Court and whether abortion gets relegated to the back alleys and whether hard won gay rights get trampled.

The presidential terms of 4 years are beginning to resemble the congressional terms of 2 years--half the term is spent running for reelection or at least raising money. Governing? Somewhat of an afterthought.

TNB himself is also asking the question "Will getting there be worth it?"Kind of scary.