What others think: Race for presidency yet to begin

Election Day is 13 weeks away.

In other words, it’s fewer than 100 days until the morning after.

This might be greeted with consternation, resignation or anticipation, depending on one’s point of view.

The one thing that should be plain to everyone, however, is that we are not in the home stretch yet.

Not for a long time ...

There might be a lull in political activity later in August — but not for the whole month. The Democratic national convention takes place late in the month, and Republicans hold their convention early in September.

Then, the real contest begins.

Except that it appears to have already begun.

Democrats, especially, are early out of the chute. Some of their candidates have begun extensive advertising campaigns both in print and online.

And it’s hard to avoid Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. Obama’s campaign was at the State Fair, and the campaign reportedly has assigned staff or volunteers to every legislative district.

So far, Republicans have been less active. John McCain’s presidential campaign has an office in the Twin Cities that’s looking out for his interests in North Dakota.

Of course, North Dakota has been considered solidly Republican in presidential elections for more than 40 years, since Lyndon Johnson carried the state in 1964, the last Democrat to do so.

Exactly how Republicans will respond to Obama’s aggressive campaign will be one of the most interesting developments in the election campaign in North Dakota.

That’s evidently in the future, however, since the Republican campaign is pretty much invisible so far.

But then, politics is all about the future.

And there are 13 weeks of future between now and Election Day.

Tags: presidential, election, nominations