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2012 presidential election starts this weekend. Really?

On Saturday, members of New Hampshire's GOP leadership will vote in a straw poll on possible GOP candidates in the 2012 presidential election.

The 2012 presidential election 鈥� does it start in earnest this weekend? Kind of. On Saturday, New Hampshire Republican State Committee members will vote in their first-ever straw poll for GOP presidential candidates. Take that, Iowa!

Yes, the Granite State鈥檚 first-in-the-nation primary won鈥檛 occur for more than a year. Before that are Iowa鈥檚 caucuses 鈥� which New Englanders consider to be suspiciously vague and thus not a real election 鈥� and those won鈥檛 happen until Feb. 6, 2012.

We don鈥檛 even know who鈥檚 running. Sarah Palin? She might stick with media deals. Mike Huckabee? Ditto. Mitt Romney? OK, we鈥檙e pretty sure Mr. Romney is in.

Rudolph Giuliani said on MSNBC Thursday that he鈥檚 considering another bid. It鈥檚 been awhile since 2008: Perhaps GOP voters have forgotten that he鈥檚 a moderate. Tim Pawlenty, former governor of Minnesota, appears to be trying to position himself for something national. New Hampshirites might like him, as he鈥檚 used to their weather.

Plus, someone named Herman Cain has been appearing on cable chat shows talking about a potential 2012 run, saying the party needs a businessperson鈥檚 perspective. (No, Mr. Cain did not write 鈥淭he Caine Mutiny.鈥� That was Herman Wouk. Cain is a former CEO of Godfather鈥檚 Pizza.)

Anyway, this weekend the 493 members of the New Hampshire GOP leadership will meet at Pinkerton Academy in Derry to elect a new state chairman. While they鈥檙e at it, they鈥檒l participate in a ballot sponsored by ABC News and local WMUR television.

The ballot will have a list of some 20 of the most-mentioned possible candidates. Voters will get to mark their first and second choice. They will also reportedly be asked to name what they think the first priority of the next president should be.

Since it鈥檚 New Hampshire, and it鈥檚 January, we think 鈥渟peed up global warming鈥� might get some votes.

While this process is far from scientific and the sample size is small, you can be sure that those who do well in this poll will trumpet it as a triumph. Since it鈥檚 so early, candidates will get to define victory in whatever way they want. For Cain, getting maybe two votes could be considered a win, for instance. So in that sense, it is indeed part of the electoral continuum that begins around now, or maybe began some time ago, and will culminate in November 2012.

After the winners are announced, the assembled committee members will rise as one and sing the state song, 鈥淥ld New Hampshire.鈥�

Just kidding. But as a bonus we鈥檒l leave you with the song chorus:

Old New Hampshire, Old New Hampshire

Old New Hampshire Grand and Great

We will sing of Old New Hampshire,

Of the dear old Granite State.