With Labor Day in the rearview, there’s nothing stopping the fall political campaign from hitting high gear and taking all of us for a ride, if we want the ride or not.

In general, I’m not too happy with the candidates. I seem to say that every year though. When Ronald Reagan left office in early 1989 I remember telling my mother, “There goes the last great president.” He is my benchmark. He was a true leader and despite his staunch conservativism, he was able to win over so-called “Reagan Democrats.” But this year, we don’t have any

Reaganesque candidates. Let’s see what we do have:

Barack Obama: They say he’s the most liberal of the liberals, even more liberal than Ted Kennedy. If you like higher taxes that supposedly will be the cure-all for America’s ills, then he’s your man. It all comes down to taxes for me. I vote for the person who will cost me the least. Hey, if I had more money maybe I’d be more liberal. But for now, that’s not the case.

Obama also has a knack of delivering stirring and emotional speeches. Some people like being stirred up. Not me. I’m sick of politicians playing with my emotions. I still don’t know why he was even considered to represent the Democratic Party because of his lack of experience.

When he got elected to the Senate (where he never seems to vote on anything), he immediately began stumping for the presidency. How can it be that a neophyte is catapulted to the highest office. That’s weirder than a baseball team owner getting elected president, a la George W. Bush.

Joe Biden: Biden is an awesome candidate for vice president. I remember him during the Clarence Thomas hearings in 1991 and thought he was passionate. He’s the one candidate that can transcend party politics. He’s seems honest and hard-working. The only thing that bothers me is his hair. During the Thomas hearings I remember he didn’t have any. However, a few years later, in the mid-1990s I think, he suddenly grew hair on the top of his head.

What’s up with that? Rogaine or a toupee? Other than that, he has my respect.

John McCain: I went to a McCain rally in January in Exeter, N.H., with my brother’s family. As a former reporter I’m proud to say I didn’t get caught up in the moment. I listened to what he said, especially the part about “I’ll follow Osama bin Laden to the gates of hell!” and realized this guy should give it a rest.

McCain seems to be a pretender. He pretends to get all excited about issues, with arms flailing, while his expression seems to say, “I’ve been doing this too long. Where’s my rocking chair? Which house did I leave that in?”

Like Obama, McCain plays on our emotions like we have nothing but emotions. When will a candidate treat us less like pets and more like intelligent people who appreciate candor and depth on complicated issues. Emotion is an oratorical device used by those who can’t win folks over with reason. Both Obama and McCain employ it way too much. They’re either condescending, intellectually lazy or really don’t have the answers, none of which promises me much hope for a better president than Bush I, Clinton or Bush II.

Sarah Palin: First, she reminds me of my sister, in both appearance and age. I love and respect my sister but I think she would agree that she isn’t presidential material. Secondly, her name sounds a lot like Sarah Plain & Tall. And come to think of it, she looks pretty tall.

Other than those very superficial judgments, I don’t have much else to say about Palin. I like that she’s from a small town, fought corruption in Alaska and that she went through with a Down Syndrome pregnancy. I’m just surprised that the GOP would pick someone no one has heard of, a la Dan Quayle. But he was pretty, too.

So, this Nov. 4, I’ll vote, but it won’t be for any of these candidates. I’m voting Reagan again. I’ve already got the bumper sticker: “Reagan 08.” (I simply reversed the 8 and 0 from his 1980 campaign.)

But politics is a relative choice. With no Reagans, FDRs or George

Washingtons in the race, we have to pick the better candidate and hope the world doesn’t notice that for 20 years now we haven’t come up with a decent leader of the free world. So choose wisely. The Putins and Ahmadinejads and bin Ladens of the world are waiting for Nov. 4 to know how much more they can push us around.

John Balentine, of Windham, ran for vice-president of his senior class in high school, and lost to a girl named Hillary.