Since when did Halloween become THIS BIG of a holiday? Are you kidding me? Houses decorated in September?! Horror movies on television for an entire month? Children's specials other than Peanuts' "The Great Pumpkin?"
We've all come to terms with the commercialism of the Christmas season, the cultural misguidedness of Cinco de Mayo and the Valentine's Day guilt-trip. Halloween is just supposed to be about kids getting dressed up and going around the neighborhood to get candy. Another chance for college students to party.
Now Halloween has grown beyond all reasonable proportions. Why? I think that since some of the scares of the 1990s -- predators going after children, poisoned candy, etc. -- that we've tried to come up with some alternative activities for the holiday. Everyone got into the act, and now we have an overblown holiday. I know of a family going to a Halloween gathering at their doctor's office. Me? I try my best to stay away from the doctor's office.
Okay, enough ranting. Pass the chocolate.
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It's open season on Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. It was bound to happen, but how deep it gets will depend on how she handles the next week or so and how her reaction plays with voters. If she remains above Barack Obama and John Edwards by double-digits in the polls in mid-November, then the verbal assaults will peter out. If the polls get closer, then the attacks on the front-runner will grow in volume and ferocity.
I did not watch the debate at Drexel University, so I can't comment directly on Clinton's performance. But the reviews are bad. She reportedly stumbled terribly in answering questions about the New York governor's plan to give driver's licenses to illegal immigrants and was evasive throughout.
Edwards had what could be the quote of the campaign so far by saying that people wanted straight talk from their leaders. He's absolutely right in that regard, and it will be interesting to see if polling takes away from her and gives to him.
Criticizing the Clintons, Hillary or Bill, has traditionally been hazardous to one's career. And dissing the front-runner, by nature the favorite to win, is also unwise. That's why many Democrats have been reluctant to put the screws to her during the campaign. But it now looks like the long knives are being drawn.
But you ain't seen nuthin' yet. Maybe.
Let's say her evasiveness proves costly at the polls, and Obama or Edwards pulls ahead in the race for the nomination in January. The dogpiling on Hillary Clinton, and maybe Bill, will be tremendous. There are many Democrats who blame the Clintons for their loss of power this decade, and they're right to some extent. There are many other very active party enthusiasts who are far to her left who distrust her instincts on issues like Iraq and the War on Terrorism. If Clinton falls behind early next year, they're going to tear into her like nothing you've ever seen.
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It's been way too early for the considerable Democratic optimism about next year's election. There was too much time for their candidates and congressional leaders to mess things up, and they're obliging.
Now the pendulum appears to be swinging toward the GOP, with conditions in Iraq improving and the economy absorbing a number of recent hits without major problems.
Again, it's too early. There's plenty of time for things to turn back against the Republicans, too. Another good reason why the campaign started way too early.
