The world of presidential politics may seem mostly far removed from Gloucester and Mathews counties. The candidates don’t come here and we are forced to evaluate them through news reports filed from far afield.

The issues and perceptions of national politics (remember, the presidential election is still more than a year away, with all the hullabaloo seemingly indicating it is right around the corner) resonate at home this year in at least two issues.

The bad news

The Milford Haven bridge to Gwynn’s Island, outrageously, is suddenly declared too weak to carry more than 10 tons, threatening commerce and public safety. We absolutely concur with the county board in pressing the state for a quick solution.

President Obama touts his jobs plan as the ticket to repair a crumbling infrastructure. We are all familiar with the image of the interstate crumbling into the Mississippi River at Minneapolis in 2007. We know all too well about potholes.

But now the message comes ...