"FUN" WITH THE FAR-OFF ELECTIONS

It is fun to watch the GOP take over Congress and instantly make fools of themselves while their party self-destructs. Until you realize that one reason they won the majority after the mid-terms after the "shellacking" during the previous last mid-terms is that the democrats are failing to make anyone enthusiastic during these elections. So they lost big twice to republicans.

It's also a hoot to see Sarah Palin's recent, discombobulated speech which was the nail in her political coffin, even drawing widespread criticism from within the GOP. Until you realize that the Republican party is so pathetic and it's policies so unappealing that they once chose Dunce Palin as a VP candidate to add sex appeal--as if that should ever factor into the White House--because McCain's platform was a losing ticket. Remember when asked about his solution for the ailing economy, he famously said that he'd need to read a book on economics?

So sure, it's fun to laugh at Baptist minister Mike Huckleberry, marvel at new Congressman who actually spoke at a White Supremacist group's meeting and lunatic fringe like Ted Cruz, who filibustered by reading Dr. Seuss on the floor of the Senate, etc, etc. But I was rather surprised to see Chris Hayes format an election update as a game show, complete with an audience and a Jeopardy-style game board last night. Don't get me wrong--I love to laugh. But leave the comedy news to Jon Stewart. Despite claims of a vast left-wing media bias, MSNBC is the only national TV station which leans left, or forward, as their commercials put it. So could that one liberal voice please focus more on real issues? And while we're at it, let's keep it to real issues of TODAY. Not constant reporting on an election two years off. We've got plenty of time to laugh at GOP presidential hopefuls.

But that might force MSNBC to focus on both why 9 Democrats who are obviously not concerned with climate change voted for the Keystone pipeline, though the president of their party has vowed to veto it. Or focus on income equality still being felt so strongly that to many, the recession never ended while CEOs are making record profits. Or a liberal channel might focus more on why Obama, a democrat, has more support from republicans than democrats on the disastrous, secret trade deal he's trying to ram through without discussion via fast track. Or hell, even going over the president's own State Of The Union address and determining what would need to be done to effect his sometimes progressive agenda so that the SOTU doesn't become more like his empty campaign promises? Nope? We get a game show.

Then again, it's tough to discuss the democratic presidential hopefuls sparring since there's only one: Hillary Clinton, who has yet to announce her candidacy. No challengers, she's just the heir apparent who we must accept as the inevitable democratic nominee. Yesterday, Hillary's people announced that rather than announce her run in April, as planned, they'd wait until July. Now if you embrace Hillary, this may be a smart strategy to sit and watch the GOP candidates rip themselves to shreds. But if you feel as I do--that Hillary is to the right of even Obama--we are being left with the choice of totally insane Tea Party republicans, insane old-fashioned republicans and moderate democrat/republican lite Hillary, who is seen as more of a hawk, more of a friend to corporations and less progressive than our current president. What a choice!

The move from April to July also gives her more time to craft her platform--which will be anything we want to hear to get elected. Get into office and start more wars (or just keep the current ones going) and serve the corporations who funded her campaign. I'm curious as to why gays vigorously support Hillary. Based on what? She has no platform! Do you have fuzzy feelings about the rosier economy of her husband's terms and dream that this will translate into today? Do you think she'll fight for gay rights? She's such a slippery snake that when she was interviewed on NPR months ago by a real investigative reporter who asked for her stance on gay marriage, her answer was so unclear that interviewer Terry Gross held her feet to the fire for more of an explanation. Then Hillary snapped at the reporter, showing many that she wasn't yet ready for prime time and that she was waffling on gay marriage even as two thirds of the states have now legalized it and most of her party supports it!

Hillary is the opposite of a leader with bold ideas. At least the Republicans are raring to go with an agenda--regardless of how ill-conceived. The idea that Clinton''s all set to just ease into the White House because no challenger can match her fundraising is infuriating. So go ahead and giggle at the GOP candidates. At least their party has a choice. And they aren't afraid to share their vision for the country, no matter how laughable I may think it is. What's Hillary's vision? We'll have to wait a little longer for her to cook something vague yet inspiring-sounding up. She's so full of passion to lead that she hasn't even announced her candidacy yet. So keep laughing at the republicans. The joke's on you, democrats.