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No, there's not a long way to go. What are the candidates doing in New Hampshire if there's a long way to go? I refer to myself a couple weeks ago:

As I begin a series on the 2008 Presidential race, its basically required to make the case why you should even care about 2008. In fact, we're less than a year from the conclusion of the last election, so this whole issue would seem utterly premature.

Yet, it's not. Do you think that Hillary, George Allen, Rudy Giuliani, Condi Rice, and the others are not thinking about '08? No, but there are several factors that require them to think about 2008. First, if you're going to run for President in 2008, you need to have organization and money begin being built now. Also, they have to schmooze leaders of state political parties to get support from the party establishment.

If you wait until 2007 or 2008, it'll be too late to think about who to support, a nominee will in effect be chosen. Remember back to 2000 when Bush raised $80 million. He had so much more money that the race was over for everyone but Steve Forbes and John McCain, but Bush's 50 state campaign overwhelmed them as Bush supporters controlled all the big States.

With our front loaded primary system, an upstart has got little shot of toppling the leader. Iowa and New Hampshire vote first, followed by a scattering of states and then six weeks after New Hampshire, there's Super Tuesday that pronounces the end of the Presidential campaign. If a candidate hopes to ride a strong place or win in New Hampshire or Iowa to victory, he has another thing coming. Unless he has funds after the primary, the campaign will go nowhere fast.

For those who don't prepare and start paying attention now, it means several things. When their candidates need financial support, they'll have none to give. They won't organize their precinct to support their candidate because they didn't pick someone in advance, nor will they be in a position to do so.

Of course, there will be a candidate chosen, the candidate of the party establishment. As of this writing, that candidate has yet to be named, but he or she will be. State Party chairman will find a candidate, generally one of small ideas and a big personality, a safe choice who will keep the Status Quo pretty much as is.

However, after 8 years, I think its time for some changes. The Bush Administration has provided some great leadership in reducing income tax rates, and the War on Terror. However, the administration has refused to constrain Congress' spending, ran an immigration policy that doesn't protect our national security or identity, and added more pages of unnecessary regulations to the Federal Register.

I believe that with respect for the current Administration, the next Republican administration needs to be more fiscally responsible, more serious about cutting the size and scope of the federal government, and have a good immigration policy. In addition to being good government, it allows the GOP to be dynamic coming into the next election. If all we try to do is carry the past eight years forward, sooner or later, Americans are going to want something different.

If you think we need change in 2008, now's the time to start thinking about what you're going to do about it. 2007 will be too late!