And election day is… January 23, 2006. As one veteran political organizer I spoke to this morning said, “That’s way too much underwear to buy.”*

Okay, political junkies: deep breaths. Deeeeeep breaths. Calm down, and take the next two months in small, careful bites, because overdosing will be a constant risk. (To the rest of Canada, all I can say is — what you’re about to experience is kind of what NHL playoff season is like for non-jocks.)

* She’s referring to a well-established if little-known life-saving trick that the canniest pols know. Since there isn’t enough time during the election to do little things like washing underwear, you head to The Bay the day the writ’s dropped and buy yourself one pair for each day of the campaign. You don’t want to work next to the guy who didn’t get to The Bay in time. This time, though, the holiday week actually falls neatly mid-campaign, offering a splendid opportunity for campaign managers and canvass organizers to get a little laundry done. And that’s more information than you really wanted on the topic of political wonks’ underwear, wasn’t it?