I've been sending email messages nearly daily to the ObamaPA campaign with the same drumbeat: "Why not Pottstown?"

Today, the campaign visits Strath Haven High School in Wallingford, Delaware County, and West Chester University in Chester County. On Monday, the Obama bus made an unannounced stop on Penn Street in Reading.

What is the significance of these campaign events? Well, they are all within a few miles or a few blocks or in one case a few buildings away from other newspapers. Newspapers that are not the one I edit. Those who know me know that bugs me - a lot.

You might say, well you had a visit from Bill Clinton last week in your town. That should have given you your presidential campaign news fix for a while. But those who know me know also that what happened last week or even yesterday is irrelevant. This is a daily newspaper; I need a daily news fix, and the Obama campaign is not cooperating.

There were rumors, which may still prove true, that the Obama bus may stop in Phoenixville today, which is close enough for me to dispatch a reporter and photographer for local coverage. Judging by their timetable, however, I believe it unlikely that the bus will stop between Strath Haven, where my friend, editor Phil Heron will be coordinating coverage for the Delaware County Daily Times, and West Chester, where my friend, editor Andy Hachadorian has already set in motion a half-dozen stories and photos for tomorrow's Daily Local News.

As sister papers, these stories are available to The Mercury. But, that's not the point.

We love to be the center of the universe here in Pottstown when it comes to news. And, Obama's bus has been driving in circles around us. It's making me crazy.

I prefer to leave the politics to my co-worker and much-more-prolific blogger Tony Phyrillas, but the view of the presidential primaries this year is too exciting to keep me on the sidelines.
Last night's primary victory for Barack Obama in Wisconsin was his ninth win in a row in what was supposed to be the Year of Hillary. Obama and Hillary Clinton are in a horse race toward the finish line of the Democratic primary. On the Republican side, even though John McCain has pretty much wrapped up the race, he's not boring.
Who would have thought as recently as a year or so ago that the nation would have real choices in 2008 -- a woman who is a political veteran, an Hawaiian-born African-American newcomer, and a wizened Vietnam POW with a reputation for flippant one-liners.
Take the nation's polarization four years ago, split severely into two camps along party lines, and put it on high speed in a blender and you'll get a taste of what the coming months will bring. People are not just looking at Democrats and Republicans this year; they are looking at real choices in style, experience, gender, race and ideology.
Which brings me to the year of my inbox.
Although it hasn't begun in earnest yet, I know that I will be inundated with email from throughout the country with form letters supporting one candidate or another. The onslaught will come after the conventions because the mailing lists to editors come out of central party headquarters. No point in wasting Republican or Democratic time and money until they have one person to support.
As November comes closer, I will get as many as 150-200 emails a day, the majority of them the same letter, sent from people throughout the country.
Occasionally, one of them is from a local person, and I have to be careful not to let it slip in as a letter to the editor. (Form letters are forbidden, according to our policy.)
The email proliferation in support of John Kerry or George Bush four years ago was annoying. At least this year, the discourse may prove interesting.
These are exciting times for our country, in my opinion, because the field of candidates we're looking at represent a new direction. The direction will be different depending on the candidate, but all currently in the running bring newness to the race for the White House.
I like it.

I made a New Year's resolution in January to become better informed about national politics in this presidential election year. I haven't done much about it though.
I have a tendency, as I believe is the case with many voters, to form political opinions based on who I like or don't like. And those preferences have more to do with the sound of a person's voice or body language than with his or her track record.
Hillary Clinton is the ultimate example. One of the reporters in the newsroom was saying last night during Super Tuesday hype that no one he knows "likes" Clinton, yet she remains ahead in the polls and in the race for delegates.
Barack Obama has a higher "likable" factor, but the Internet-rumor crowd is fond of saying he is hiding something.
Here's where I feel guilty about the limited knowledge I have of the candidates' backgrounds and positions. I find myself favoring Obama because I don't like the sound of Clinton's voice. Or, if it's Obama and John McCain, I think McCain gets points for not looking emaciated.
All of which I believe makes me a bad citizen.
But take a step back ... if the person this nation elects as president is to represent us in the world and to accomplish results in Washington, don't we want that person to project confidence and to be well, "likable?"
In the wake of Super Tuesday, it appears that the Democrats are still in a race to determine their candidate, and the Republicans have a front-runner, but he's not yet a certain nominee.
It's an interesting year. I resolve, again, to become better informed and make wise choices.
I just hope that come November, I like the winner.