Debate. Then just go away, please!

That's where I've come to with most of the Democratic presidential aspirants. Unless somebody manages to stand out from the pack in the debates over the next two days, the rest of them should go home. They are taking up bandwidth that we, the people, need to use evaluating the real candidates. At this point, only Sanders, Harris, Warren, Biden, and Buttigieg seem in the running -- and I'm not even sure about Buttigieg.

In Steve Bullock's case, do Democrats a favor and run to take a Senate seat from the GOP in Montana where you are held in high esteem. You could probably win it.

That goes too for Julián Castro. Go home to Texas and challenge John Cornyn for a Senate seat. Castro has been great on tough stuff like lead poisoning in Flint and the administration's criminal neglect of the needs of Puerto Rico, but he hasn't caught fire. Could he on his home turf?

Jay Inslee is doing good and honorable work by trying to force climate crisis onto the agenda. But he's not a captivating messenger.

I'm glad Beto has been episodically bold (for a Democratic pol) on a few wedge issues, but his act isn't enchanting in the role of president.

Andrew Yang, the universal basic income man, is interesting, but I think Democrats ought to stick with people who have some experience working in government. The GOPers are demonstrating what can go wrong when you try to run an administration with a complete outsider. (Yes, it would be worse if the Orange Cheeto knew how to use the federal government to get anything done.)

In creating the graphic at the head of this post, I largely couldn't figure out which of the white men was which. Fortunately, I don't think I had to. Aside for the two old men and the whippersnapper, none of these seems to have much legs.

Now's the time to get out, guys. The sooner you do it, the less anyone will hold your fantasy play against you.

And then again, maybe somebody will surprise me and break out. I will watch; I am mildly open to being proved wrong. I am completely prepared to do everything I can for any of them who manages to win the nomination.