We couldn’t wait another day to bring up politics.
Last week, we suggested everyone take a break from politics until after the long holiday weekend.
However, though it was smart for everyone to set politics aside on Independence Day the race was already on.
Actually, the race got underway when 20 candidates took to the stage in Miami during two nights of Democratic presidential debates — a record from one party — nearly two weeks ago.
Republican incumbent President Donald Trump, for now, faces no realistic challenge within his party. But in 2016, these early debates mattered just as intensely to Republicans as they do now to Democrats.
We’re not going to opine on this series of debates — who won, who lost, etc. — the next of which is at the end of this month in two more consecutive nights of 10 candidates each in Detroit.
However, as reluctantly as we are to say it, if you care about who is going to be on the ballot Nov. 3, 2020, for president you need to pay attention.
Yes, we know that’s nearly 500 days from now. Yet, by the time the state’s May 12, 2020, primary rolls around there won’t be 20 Democratic candidates for president on the ballot.
It seems like a long time since the first of five GOP presidential debates kicked off Aug. 6, 2015.
Only 10 candidates joined that first Republican debate, but an earlier debate was held the same day for seven others who did not place in top 10 polling.
Nine more GOP presidential debates followed as those 17 candidates shrank to four by March in the run-up to the party’s convention.
Many will recall those early debates were key to shaping the Republican’s presidential field and eventually were the catalyst for Trump’s nomination.
These cattle-call debates might seem novel but they are hardly that. Matter of fact, this is at least the fourth straight presidential election in which eight or more presidential candidates met on the national stage more than a year out from Election Day.
So, no the debates are not necessarily starting earlier, however the numbers participating in them is growing as is the 24/7 campaign coverage and, of course, the cash.
There’s no doubt the age of televised debates has advanced from the 1960 presidential dust-ups between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon.
In the age of the big screen and the smartphone these debates are all but essential to candidates making their mark or missing it altogether.
Though some say our society today has the attention span of ants, it’s important to continue to mind these debates before we even flip the calendar on the election year.
Obviously, then the cavalcade of caucuses and primaries get underway come January and continue on until nearly this time next year.
True, many of us could wait a long time for another election season.
But it looks like it’s already started.
