Wes Mantooth

The problem is that the batshit crazy people are the ones the press loves to show us, it appeals to emotion and drags politics down to its lowest common denominator which bumps up the ratings. Sarah Palin is money, Birthers, Tea Partiers are money, 9/11 truthers are money, controversy, conspiracies and so forth. Level headed debate over tax policies, foreign affairs and education is "boring", relegated to the back pages and used as filler between the real stories. The sad thing is neither party seems to make any real attempt at purging themselves of the lunatic fringe which only assists in making them that much more valid in the publics eye and the vicious circle continues.

But what does that really mean? Has "crazy" politics become the norm because its the only way to stay visible as a politician once you've lost power and in turn all the public finds interesting? I suppose the real question is why we find it so interesting and why we aren't simply dismissing the loons en masse for more important and relevant issues. It is a troubling trend to say the least.

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