Barbara, maybe, but I tend to think it is a little crazy that American campaigns start 1 1/2 years before the election. We are 14 months before the election. Four years ago I did not really pay much attention to the democrats before half of them were toast.

Maybe part of the reason the country seems to be disfunctionate (is that a word?) is that campaigning takes too much time and energy and both candidates and elected officials put getting elected or keeping a majority ahead of what is more important.
Chris