Those poor Democrats

I feel sorry for them. I really do.

They are getting what they've howled about wanting for years; they're getting presidential candidates who "look like America."

The only problem: they're getting them all at once.

A black dude. A woman. A Hispanic.

PARENTHETICAL ALL-INCLUSIVE MUSINGS: So far, no Asians, Native Americans, gay men or lesbians have announced their candidacies, but the election season is still young....

How can you oppose Barack Obama? Hell, it'd be racist to diss him. Hillary? What's the matter with you, sexist creep? Don't you think women are good enough for the Big Job? As for Bill Richardson (a Hispanic name if ever I've seen one), we all know Hispanics -- including the ones here illegally -- are the flavor-of-the-month everywhere in D.C. these days, so he's gold.

Hillary's hit squad is already going after Obama, dredging up the tidbit that he attended a Muslim school in his youth. Add his middle name (Hussein) and he's doomed, but doesn't yet know it. And then there's his own admission of past cocaine use, which presents a real problem for the Democrats; after all, they were all over unproven allegations of George Bush's youthful enjoyment of blow back in 2000 like the proverbial cheap suit, yet now they have to say Obama's early taste for nose candy is irrelevant.

Hell, hypocrisy is nothing new to them anyway. They slammed Bush for being a former drunk, too, but that never stopped them from supporting Teddy Kennedy. Hell, Kennedy's midnight swim at Chappaquiddick didn't bother 'em, either.

And Hillary? Aside from being shrill, spiteful, vicious and insufferably self-righteous, she has more skeletons in her closet than a medical school. But, like Slick Willie, she has skated on all of them and, thanks to a fawning media, probably always will.

Richardson is a drone. An experienced drone, but a drone nonetheless. So far, he's avoided the kind of intense scrutiny that will surely be aimed at others -- mostly Republican others, thanks to the mainstream media's predilection for uncritical and over-the-top support of lefty candidates -- but if he has any deep, dark secrets, he'd be wise to hang it up now.

Yep. The Democrats got it bad, and that ain't good. With any luck, they will self-destruct and, from the ashes, begin looking for a new Barbara Jordan among their ranks who not only brings the superficial virtues to the table, but has the intelligence, character and personality to be a great leader.

The election of 2008 might be fun to watch. If, that is, it didn't portend major disaster for our country.