John Edwards will win the Democratic primaries. I know this because J. Crew is advertising swimsuits in their winter catalog.

This is a year of optimism. I can't remember a time in the last four years when Americans, in general, had a brighter outlook than they do now. The economy is better! We got Saddam! And, even if you hate Bush and everything he's done for the country, c'mon get happy: it's election year! You can finally shove it to the man.

Everyone's feeling it, and not least of all major clothing retailers. I was shocked to recieve two swimsuit catalogs this week, one each from J. Crew and Victoria's Secret. I remember last year's J. Crew swim catalog came in March, because I felt silly for buying a suit at the very beginning of Spring. My little sis and I have already checked out the suits online at American Eagle and Delias. What can this early summer marketing mean? There's no warming trend in sight; rather, it's a sign that America is ready for summer, for good times.

Maybe my fashion/politics correlation won't pan out. I guess we'll see soon enough what kind of chances Edwards has. I just don't see how a nation that's buying bikinis even as a blizzard wails on the East Coast can elect a Bush Basher or a man who keeps reminding everyone of the Vietnam war. John Edwards is keeping his campaign and his message optimistic; I think that's what people are going to buy this season.