Some people love the quadrennial Olympic Games. Some people pine for the quadrennial World Cup. And many American political geeks like myself get great joy over the quadrennial quest to become President of the United States. The first major debate of the 275 Republican candidates will take place August 6. (I know, there are only 16 as of this writing, and only 10 will be allowed on the stage, still the makings of a Battle Royal.)

But despite the theater of the primary and the upcoming campaign, this is deadly serious business and impacts everyone. I grew up in a Washington DC family and community where politics was discussed at the dinner table. I learned from an early ....