Symptoms: Looking back at what I wrote yesterday, it's obvious that I'll take any opportunity to haver on about anything but politics. So let me apologize for the generally poor quality of the political blogging from my end lately. I can't gather myself to give a rat's ass right now. Maybe as the conventions come and go and it all begins to mean something . . . maybe.

Bear with me. I'm not going to post on the "issues" unless I have something serious to say. But the day-to-day polling, sniping, spinning -- I give up.

In a presidential election year, the party out of power should not have their nomination locked up before Memorial Day, at the very earliest. It makes the campaign a horrible extended bore, like algebra class with lesson plans by Bob Shrum, and makes us despise the challenger even more than we might otherwise (though, with Kerry, this may be technically impossible).

Maybe I'll get the bee in my bonnet again soon. I don't doubt it. But I realized this morning -- riding in the car; gentle rain on the windshield; Joe Jackson's live, a capella version of "Is She Really Going out with Him?" on the CD player -- I'm just too damn happy for this right now.

Never think about politics when you're not feeling thoroughly cynical. You might start believing in something.