Good grief, it seems early. The New Hampshire presidential primary is at least 10 months away – depending upon when Secretary of State Bill Gardner decides it should be held – yet we’ve already been inundated with candidates and more to come.

Even New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio might show up, if he really is thinking of running.

With one exception, former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld, they’ve all been Democrats, but that’s to be expected given that the Republicans have an incumbent tweeter in the White House.

Our question is this: Is it a good thing to have so many candidates so early? Let us take, for the sake of argument, California Sen. Kamala Harris. She was at St. Anselm College last week and drew a large and enthusiastic crowd.

But so what? Is anyone, 10 months from now, going to recall what she said then? Or what she didn’t say?

Whatever she said, she’s going to repeat many times in the coming months and certainly during whatever debates are held prior to the primary. Is anyone really paying attention now?

Actually, no, they’re not. Oh, certainly we all love to see the candidates and hear them and maybe even meet them but there is a difference between “hearing” and “listening to” what they have to say and we find it difficult to believe that anyone is really listening so long before they have to decide their choice.

But here’s the key: If the monied interests and thousands of little folks are willing to put up the cash to fund a candidate’s sojourn to New Hampshire and Iowa and probably South Carolina this early, why shouldn’t they take it and spend it?

In the long run, we don’t think it does that much good because, with the exception of some absolutists, people have yet to decide nor will they for several months.

But, candidates, welcome anyway. We like you. Just don’t expect any promises quite yet.