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Charles Dickens wrote "A Tale of Two Cities." It is a complex story set in two very different cities during the French revolution. The distance between Paris and London is less than 300 miles, but in the 1790's they could have been on two different planets. In almost every regard each city could be defined as the opposite of the other.

Yes, France and England are two different countries, but normally the feel of urban life is common to every city.

Likewise with political parties. If you're a Democrat and you walk into a Republican campaign headquarters typically you're astounded by the similarity of mood, activity and spirit. In fact, it can be disturbing how similar they are if, like me, you've spent a lifetime concentrating on the differences between the two parties.

But now, for the first time in my life, I'm part of a campaign without an analogue in the opposite party. For instance…

The McAdams campaign headquarters is bursting at the seams and often we're wondering where to find enough chairs.

Mark Crockett doesn't have a campaign headquarters.

I've lost twenty pounds trying to take pictures of Ben in scores of parades and civic events.

So far I've seen Mark Crockett at one of those events.

I've friended the McAdams Facebook pages and there's always notice on my phone of new activity.

Last week the County Republican chair promised a dollar toward the Crockett campaign for each person who would "like" the new Crockett Campaign Facebook page. (A gesture that seemed both late and pathetic.)

The differences in personality, energy and warmth between the two candidates are too numerous to mention. If they were in a zoo one would be leading tours, the other would be in the herpetarium.

A month ago, based on low name ID, and one candidate being a Democrat and the other a Republican, Crockett enjoyed a lead over McAdams. This lead will persist only if everything we believe about the importance of both a candidate and a campaign proves to be false.

My bet is a later poll, one in November, will show you can pay people a dollar to "like" you, but you're unlikely to get their vote unless they actually like you (with no quotes attached.)