Why is the county clerk running campaign ads five months before the election? The ads themselves are laughable. When was the last time you stopped in at the clerk's office downtown and found Dinolfo there, waiting behind the counter? And tell me how many residents even know who their county clerk is, much less call her on the phone for help with a passport dilemma.

But back to the question: TV ads. Why now?

Could it be that Democrats have found a formidable candidate in Tom Hasman and the GOP is scared? Could be. Probably not.

County Executive Maggie Brooks almost certainly has plenty of spreading-around cash. She's been a money machine for the GOP - and didn't have to spend much on her nonrace last year - so why not throw some Dinolfo's way? There are, after all, only a few competitive races in the county this year.

And Dinolfo has been talked about as a Maggie-in-the-making. But without Brooks' TV background and star power, it's, frankly, difficult to imagine Dinolfo as Monroe's Next Big Thing.

So here's my pet theory: If The People are mad - and boy, they've got reason: the public defender and MCC outrages, the Renaissance Square quagmire, the FAIR Plan - who are they going to take it out on? Maggie's not up this year. Hello, Cheryl.

Not to mention that we have yet to see Maggie's bullpen budget if the court finally kills FAIR for good - which it likely will. Cuts to the zoo, parks, and libraries surely aren't going to make county officials any friends.

In that context, it's not surprising that the GOP would want to give Dinolfo a few yards' head start before the starting gun.