The Ongoing Campaign

No votes are yet cast in this primary season, but political forecasters are becoming united on two predictions.

1)  Former governor Romney has almost locked up the establishment Republican party, and is therefore the presumptive nominee.

2)  The only people who seem not to get this are the voters, who will simply have to adjust to reality.

It's certainly true that Romney has taken a very different approach to the election than, say, Herman Cain.  Romney has spent a tremendous amount of effort on fundraising, lining up endorsements, and swinging the political establishment into his corner.  He's hardly said a word to us, though -- aside from appearing in the debates, he's not really talking to the American people.  I don't even know why he wants to be President.  I just know that he's wanted it for a long, long time -- long enough to have endorsed the then-popular opposites of every position he seems to be advocating this time.  

Herman Cain was on the local radio show the other day.  He was laughing, joking with the host, talking about his plans and why I ought to want to vote for him.  He's taking a month off from what is usually called 'the campaign trail' -- that is, doing what Romney is doing -- to promote his book on running for President.  This will include traveling to bookstores around the country, meeting people and shaking their hands in person, and asking them to consider his case and give him their vote.

This is taken to be a sign that Mr. Cain isn't serious about winning. 

Is that because we've grown so large as a democracy that you really can't win by talking to people, shaking their hand, and asking for their vote?  I wonder what the consequences of that must be.