2012 Watch: The Beginning Begins

One of the more awful things about the end of an election cycle is that, having survived, you nevertheless know that somewhere, out there in the darkness, a NEW election cycle is beginning. And that this one might be the one that finally kills us, with knives. Now, to a certain extent, it can't be helped: this Sunday, as all the morning shows run their essential post-mortem on 2008, a certain amount of time will be given over to who might emerge as contenders to the throne. That's okay! That alone doesn't threaten to jumpstart the process to the point that the Iowa Caucus is being held on Arbor Day of 2010, swelling the primary season debate schedule to seventy debates between twenty participants.

There's hopefully a hot place in Hades for whoever prematurely set the 2012 snowball in motion on Tuesday evening. That's right! A culprit has already emerged. Even though her most fervent supporters were out on the airport tarmac yesterday, chanting for 2012, Sarah Palin and her partisans have not advanced this ball -- despite the fact that most people sort of expected her to ramp up PALIN 2012: THE WOLFENING as soon as possible. No, no. If you followed our election night liveblog, you already know who's to blame -- Mitt Romney supporters, who couldn't even wait for daybreak to come before inviting our editor to join the "Mitt Romney for President in 2012" Facebook group.

Seriously? Y'all couldn't have waited a week?