Sentence:  Yes, Virginia, there is a presidential election in 1984—and it has begun: A former Vice President goes ice fishing and poses with a puny perch dangling from his line. A 68-year-old Senator dons athletic shorts and runs a 60-yd. dash in a San Francisco track meet. ... Such hijinks can mean only one thing: the quadrennial <WSD>silly season</WSD> has started again. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  A period of time, as during a holiday season or a political campaign, in which the behavior of an individual or group tends to become uncharacteristically frivolous, mirthful, or eccentric.