A reader e-mails in protest:

What a beautiful primary season it’s been. We’re entering the finish
line, without a single American having had the annoyance of having to
cast a single vote in a single primary. Glad all the pundits,
pollsters, and big-money backers took care of all that messy
“democracy” business for us. You wonder what causes the insanity of
pushing primaries forward farther and farther? Some non-beltway, non-
money people, crazy as they are, would actually like the chance to
pick their candidate. Now, apparently Iowa, New Hampshire, and
South Carolina, instead of being the starting gate, are actually the
finish line.