It's just days before New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation presidential primary and Kelly Ayotte, the Granite State's only Republican senator, has yet to endorse a Republican candidate for president.
Ayotte, whose endorsement is highly coveted by GOP candidates, in 2012 acted swiftly to endorse former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. But in 2016, none of the GOP candidates hail from from New England, and earlier this week Ayotte told Politico.com she will not be endorsing anyone ahead of her state's primary on Feb.9.
To paraphrase a classic horror movie tagline: "It is only a primary. It is only a primary."
As the primaries move into the Northeast, remembering that simple phrase helps lower one's blood pressure while maintaining equanimity in this raucous political season.
