campaign '08: the final four ... already?

While I'm tryingtryingtrying to avoid politics on this thing, I can't help but lament that we're pretty much down to Clinton and Obama among the Democrats, and McCain and Romney with the GOP, if only because most of us haven't yet had a say in the matter. I mean, Rudy's pretty much out on the Republican side because he chose to ignore Iowa and New Hampshire -- two states really representive of the electorate at-large, eh? -- while Edwards was basically dumped by the Dems because he lacks the star power (and identity politics) of Hillary and Obama. But how many states have already staged primaries and caucuses? Has it even been 10? How cool must the old days have been, when delegates were chosen in a timely manner and the parties' nominating conventions actually possessed the drama of who might get picked instead of the drab infomericals they've long since become. And to think, only nine more months 'til Election Day. Wake me when it gets here.