When will the campaign begin?

This presidential campaign is the most lackadaisical I've witnessed since perhaps Jimmy Carter's run. No, I think this is the most lackadaisacal ever in my lifetime.

Kerry talks about his war record and how it prepared him to be a firm but wise president. Bush points to his decisiveness and the strides he's made in the Middle East - keeping the terrorists embroiled in a fight for their lives OVER THERE instead of on American soil.

It's a clever spin on what was potentially a disastrous military campaign in light of the lack of weapons of mass destruction. It took the administration a while to figure out how to spin this incongruous reality, given its arguments to attack Saddam Hussein, but they finally figured out that telling the electorate that it's better to fight terrorism on foreign soil than here in the United States would turn the trick.

But I do not sense any passion from the electorate - neither Kerry nor Bush seem to have much fire in the belly, and neither does the public. Perhaps we're all just too jaded to care anymore?

I hope not. I believe this election is perhaps the most important since FDR was put into office.

Someone needs to get down to brass tacks and speak plainly about the issues facing our nation. If Kerry doesn't do it soon, he'll likely lose, I'm sorry to say.

And so it goes.