It's only February. But look at us.

Yes, McCain is very close to clinching the Republican nomination due to sheer numbers,but in the Democratic side of things it's a long way to November.

And we're acting like it's September.

Just watch Bill Clinton — who remains the king of political spin. The Washington Post, in today's editions, points out that Sen. Clinton is now the underdog. Nice. Somebody in that household knows how to score upsets and win fence-sitters off their duffs.

What will Barack Obama do with this new momentum? A week or two from now, we'll know. And two weeks after that, we'll know again.

A CNN estimate late Tuesday showed Obama had a little less than 20 more delegates than Clinton as of that day. Call it a lead if you like, but this one's looking more and more like it's going to be decided by Superdelegates.

The good thing about it all is that the longer this neck-and-neck thing drags on, the more people are drawn to pick up newspapers, devour newsmagazines, and fire up web sites that guide them to what's really going on.

Americans — and, truth be told, some journalists — are people who cram their lives with so much day-to-day flurry that they just don't take time to find out what's happening in their country.

What gets their attention is repetitive noise from one source over time. They get up, look around, and find out what's making all that racket.

And democracy is the better for it.

Here's hoping we have the most attentive election season in a long time.