You thought the election campaign was long...

It has occurred to me as I was unloading corn (lots of free brain time there) that while we are all buzzing about the Average Crop Revenue option, it won't kick in until 2010. Some thoughts:

• I could be dead by then.
  
• Given the fact I struggled to follow the examples published recently, I anticipate a major, major education problem for FSA offices. Good thing they won't be closing many soon, huh?
  
• As some have noted, the idea of an option is a guarantee for serious laments after the choice is made. Wanna bet there is a heads-you,win-tails-you-win amendment in 2011?
• The act should be called the Farm Economist, Extension Meeting, Farm Media, and Crop Insurance Full Employment Act. [Arguably, that beats "The Heartland, Habitat, Harvest and Horticulture Act of 2007"] Try to imagine how many magazine pages of explanations, downloadable spreadsheets, websites, extension meetings, PowerPoint paralysis, letters to editors, advisory services, and outright scams that will latch onto this complex scheme by 2010. You will be so sick of reading about ACR, you'll skip over those articles for the ads.
• We can't predict ag conditions next summer, so who knows what will be going on in 2009 as we first make this choice? The possibility for legislator's regret could be significant.
  
• Regardless, by 2009 this optional program will be sooo gamed out by everyone - not just early reactors such as what happened with the "Dakota shuffle". Ah - those were the days...

Most salient of all, the concept has to survive the floor vote, conference and even Pres. Bush's signature. With Mr. Johanns replaced, the administration position on developments has been unclear at best.

Still, if ACR is the future, my attention span has been challenged already.