If you love to study elections, this one will be a doosey. The battle for the White House will be.

We cannot say that about all our elections. For instance, the Dole vs. Clinton election was over before the first mudpie was slung. Nobody outside an asylum believed Dole stood a chance. When Mondale flung down the gauntlet to Reagan he tripped over it. It flew up and caught him in the groin. His campaign was fodder for comedians from the start.

And so, these campaigns drove down NoDoz sales. Who needed a drug to get to sleep when you could watch a few political commercials or a debate?

Ah, but this season’s campaigns should keep us awake. For a number of reasons.

You might argue that the sheer length of the campaigns will make us punch drunk. By the end of this year these guys will despair of finding anything new to say. Maybe true, maybe not. Good chance the two sides will hold some of their best ammunition in reserve.

That means we will see some of the best sludge later. You know, that Giuliani molested baby goats. And Hillary has scheduled a sex change operation.

Wait a minute! How do I know it will be those two who duke it out? I don’t know, of course. But the polls tell us they are the most likely to be the candidates.

If they do win their party’s nod, imagine the battle.

Hillary has now laid down a semi-socialist economic plan. She has talked about taking profits away from big companies. She has threatened to raise taxes about 25%. By ending the Bush tax cuts. She says she wants to take more from you (if you earn a lot) to give it to the common good.

Giuliani responds to her tax plan as “an astounding staggering tax increase.” Them’s fightin’ words. None of this polite “My opponent and I share the same view on thus and such, however I differ when it comes to ...”

The gloves will be off on a range of issues. They staked out positions miles from each other.