Every election cycle someone–often many someones–solemnly informs us that this is the most important election of our lifetime. And so it is, although not for the transitory reasons any one candidate might suggest.

In fact each election is the most important because it means that contrary to basic human instinct, some might even say contrary to logic and reason, we are still having an election.  We are participating in the process. Our grand experiment has not failed us and we have not failed it.

Welcome to this, the most important election of your lifetime.  Until the next one.