But these are humdrum mid-life crises when compared with America's presidential wannabes and has-beens.

Now that Campaign 2004 is out of the way, don't think a few presidential wannabes haven't already noticed that there are 1,461 days until Election Day 2008.

And, of course, "the presidential wannabes of both parties don't just court run-of-the-mill voters; they spend at least as much time wooing the wealthy few who make megabucks."

The news is so encouraging, in fact, that one firm supplying presidential wannabes with Web fund-raising tools may soon go public.

Elisions may make it as words on their own: wannabe, the sliding sounds of "want to be," is now the popular substitute for the nominative form of hopeful, as in "presidential wannabe."

Americans may not be thrilled about either of these presidential wannabes.

The field here is already crowded with presidential wannabes.

Still, Republican presidential wannabes and other big-time G.O.P. leaders would stumble over each other year after shameful year to appear at the school.

Yesterday, the Democrats' traveling circus came to town, a field of presidential wannabes large enough to fill an American League baseball lineup (designated hitter included).

Media-grabbing was not his thing, but somebody had to get across the message that these people needed help, that they couldn't be swept under the rug by the presidential wannabe appearing at the Waldorf tonight.