I guess it’s not too early to be thinking about the 2004 election already, seeing as how we’re really less than six months away from the unofficial start of the campaign season.

It can’t be good for Democrats that Bush, despite all their best efforts and the efforts of spineless European governments and clueless anti-war protestors, is enjoying a 73 percent approval rating, up from 59 percent the week before the war.

Of course, everyone will point to his dad who enjoyed similar approval ratings after the Gulf War in 1991 and was promptly evicted from the White House a year later. A couple of things need to be remembered. First, the Congress in 1991 was controlled by Democrats, which meant that Bush (41) had to either compromise with them (which he did on taxes) or do as little as possible (which he did on the economy). That opened the door for both Clinton and Perot to step in. People forget that Perot attracted a LOT of conservative voters away from Bush (41). The elder Bush also copped an attitude that he didn’t need to campaign for a job he already felt he deserved, what with helping Reagan to end the Cold War and pushing Saddam back into Iraq.

Bush (43) has learned those lessons well. There is no charming, charismatic Democrat like Clinton waiting to step up nor is there a viable third party candidate (see Nader, Buchanan 2000). Further, Bush managed to pull off the electoral tightrope act in 2000 with ZERO Washington experience. In the two and a half years, he has grown up in the eyes of the country.

Meanwhile, the nine Democratic challengers — Braun (IL), Dean (VT), Edwards (NC), Gephardt (MO), Graham (FL), Kerry (MA), Kucinich (OH), Lieberman (CT), and Sharpton (NY) — are set to debate each other on May 3 in Columbia, South Carolina. This should be good. Now, if only Gary Hart would officially throw his hat into the ring, we’d have an even ten.

I wonder if Braun wishes she could come back to Illinois and run for her old Senate seat that Sen. Peter Fitzgerald is going to forfeit at the end of his current term?