Bush is Pedro Martinez - A baseball metaphor that scores! By Mickey Kaus Yep. OK, I would never have put the guy on the field to begin with. But here's exactly why a vote against Bush is not necessarily a vote against the war. (And why it's important to follow baseball every so often.)

It's really difficult to follow an election -- especially a primary election -- from abroad. You know I have never seen Wesley Clark speak apart from his CNN gig? I can't recall ever having seen John Kerry speak until I watched the recent "Carrier" campaign ad. I distinctly remember that queasy feeling I got when I downloaded a CNN clip of the the press conference where George W. Bush, just days before the 2000 election, fessed up to the drunk driving charge. That was the first I'd heard him speak. (You mean this guy? Christ, he mumbles!)

Perhaps what most disqualifies me from even speculating about next year's elections: I have never, ever seen Howard Dean utter a word.