A question from Raquette Lake

Mitch Edelstein writes from Raquette Lake:

Great question. Generally, I’m a fan of America’s protracted, exhausting political campaigns. I’m of the “more is more” school of politics. (Some people also want a longer football season, so there’s no accounting for taste.)

And here’s the big irony: this year our campaign is actually really short.

What do I mean by that?

I mean that we have only about eight weeks from the time the two tickets are set and the parties have had their conventions to really hear from the candidates.

With the surprise Sarah Palin pick, that just doesn’t feel long enough for a good vetting, from the press or the public.

Other nations just don’t see politics as the full-contact, everybody-gets-in-on-the-act scrum that Americans do. Which is fine.

But for us, politics is a big part of culture. (And the other way around…)

A final thought. The trick this season for Canadian politicians will be getting heard over the American hubbub.

A lot of Canadians will be paying closer attention to our presidential race than their own election. Which may be one reason why the elections were called now…