Gee, Dr, Sowell, don't you get it. It's all about "politainment," much the same as our schools do: edutainment. I am not expecting anybody to get serious anytime soon; economics and international politics are just so, well, boring.

After the idiotic State of the Union speech we just heard, is there any hope? No, not serious, not this year, or maybe ever again. Perhaos when the roof falls in and the knives come out....

I guess I can't be too suprised that the GOP are once again shooting themselves in the foot. We certainly have a long storied career of doing so.

The exception has only been when a strong candidate emerges.

Alas, this group is sorely lacking. Again.

the 'sowell' man is 'right' as usual...keep up the great work you do.

How refreshing it would be for a candidate to describe step-by-step his/her plan to fix our economy. Include details that are specific enough people could determine if the plan would advance or harm their, and their posterity's lifestyles. Since this is not occurring, perhaps we could learn about the candidate's past decisions relevant to foreseeable decisions; differentiate the variables; assume a somewhat simplistic linear correlation and make that judgment. Since we'll not learn that, perhaps we can learn the candidate's values through their biography. Since that is not happening, what's left? Sleaze, innuendos, smut, irrelevance. Well, at least it $ell$.

Unfortunately, this once great people has been so dumbed down by: (1) the over-abundance of ubiquitous cheap entertainment, fiction and fantasy, (2) the lack of rigor in education, (3) the failure of personal accountability, (4) the disdain of the value of self discipline and virtue. Today everyone believes they can sit in comfort and every story will end with “happily-ever-after”. All that matters is identifying the villain and the hero. Of course, we are vicariously the hero. And it all will be completely wrapped up in a couple of hours so we can watch our favorite cartoon.

Historians have recorded that as the Roman Empire deteriorated, the number of official holidays and the frequency and duration of parties and entertainment opportunities among the population increased. The Roman Empire entertained itself into decline and irrelevance to find itself buried in history as a has-been. The USA is doing the same thing.

Pilots use the earth’s horizon to verify they are flying straight and level to their destiny. When the horizon becomes obscured due to clouds or other phenomena, pilots must use other references. If the aircraft is not equipped with adequate “artificial horizons” and alternative references, the pilot knows he/she can enter into a nearly always deadly phenomena known as the graveyard spin.

In this flight condition, the aircraft is spinning down toward the earth at terminal velocity. As death approaches just seconds away, the pilot’s own senses keep reassuring him/her everything is fine, normal and nothing is wrong. The pilot will not simply ignore any other indicators to the contrary, he/she will deny the truth they are displaying.

Corrective action requires first the pilot recognize the problem. The correction is very simple. But if the pilot does not take immediate corrective action, death is inevitable. The aircraft will impact the earth’s terrain in a near vertical attitude and at terminal velocity. If the terrain is soft enough, the occupants are buried with the aircraft. If the terrain is hard, the aircraft will explode into hundreds of thousands, or millions, of pieces, and human occupants will be crushed, recognized only by the fabric of clothes worn.

I fear our USA is following the same graveyard spin. The indicators are screaming at us to take immediate and decisive corrective action. But until we acknowledge the truth, death is certain. It will not be a “happily-ever-after” ending.

Character counts. Without the character required to uphold his marriage oath, he is hardly qualified to uphold an oath of office. Character is the only issue of value when we begin to understand it is about upholding the Constitution, character is the only thing that will provide the strength necessary for a person elected to a position of public trust to uphold his oath of office. We need trustworthy people to put in positions of public trust. Trustworthy people do not lie, cheat, steal, break oaths, accept bribes, or govern according to the voice of the masses. Trustworthy people uphold their oath of office.

We aren't in a vertical spin yet but we sure as hell are close to stalling. We're like the crew of the Titanic only we know what lies ahead but we have no control over those manning the engine room or rudder. Another case similar to the vertical dive was that of the manager of Three Mile Island. I read that he refused to believe the perfectly functioning gauges and continuously withdrew coolant water from the core, thinking they were telling him the opposite of what was happening when it fact they were telling him exactly what was happening. New generation nuclear plants are probably designed to prevent such bone-headed human misjudgement from destroying everything but our country doesn't run by a flawless software system but by people unwilling to make the hard decisions. And since the buck stops at no one's desk, no one feels responsible. It's enough to cause one's mind to caste a glance at an autocratic government that can actually get things done (China). Pick your poison. Ineffective democracy or autocratic efficiency.

Even with electing a perfect conservative President, the nation is still stuck with a Congress that doesn't want to inflict the pain that is needed to trim the obese fat of the government and its vast and wasteful programs.

btw, Thomas, great article. circular firing squad with machine guns!

The "perfect" Republican candidate is the one who will sign the pledge that on Inauguration Day he will indict and arrest Barack Obama, and air the prosecution on prime time TV, so all the world can witness the punishment for the grandest political fraud in the history of mankind and the treasonous destruction of the fabric of American society. The trials of Eric Holder and the communist czars can air on CSPAN. Maybe the hangings could headline halftime at the 2014 Super Bowl. Now, that would be a ticket worth thousand$$$$$$$.

I am serious, Professor.

Both Parties have to sell legislation to lobbyist to fund their organizations. With the cost of any state wide or larger campaign being insanely expensive only those backed by the two ruling political clubs have a real chance. Both of the current clubs have a record of doing harm to America while enriching themselves. The only bright spot in the last 100 years or so was when Perot scared them into cutting some spending for a couple of years.

I don't see enough difference between Bush and Obama to make a noticeable difference. Bush seems a little further to the left with his great line, "now everyone can afford a nice home regardless of economic status", than Obama with a increase in healthcare spending. We will just have to see which drives America further in debt the fastest, the right for an affordable nice home or the right for affordable healthcare.

If I remember correctly Buffet estimated America lost $30 trillion when Bear Stearns tried to dump it's Fannie Mae CDOs. But as long as we keep suspending the mark to market accounting rule we can pretend our banks are still solvent. We just need a neat accounting trick to ignore healthcare spending.

Then we have the Fed, where is all that money coming from that they are sending to the EU banks?

If you want change, change your vote. It takes 51% of the vote to get into Washington. It only takes 5% of the vote to change those in Washington, for one election cycle.

Barry Payne, Titular Despot Emeritus

No one remembers these things after the conventions. Remember "voodoo economics?"

Character is important. Character is revealed in him a man lives. If anyone disagrees with these truths, he is a not fit to engage in political argument or commentary.

I agree with this. Mitt Romney is desperate to win the nomination, I think to make up for his father losing the 1960's. I think it's an obsession with him. He and those on his behalf, the Republican establishment fired the first shot. He really can't run on a record of Socialized Medicine, giving cars with AAA memberships to welfare recipients, and working with John Holdren, who now works for Zero's EPA.

Only in a culture so lost to the need for character to be uppermost in the minds and hearts of voters would such nonsense as this be presented in a journal supposedly aimed at getting us back to the Constitutional foundation of government.

Character is the most important issue facing our nation. Will the candidate have the character necessary to stand against the unworthy compromises imposed upon our nation for the last 100 years?

If we are not allowed to look at a candidate's personal character and we are not allowed to look at his actual record of more big government. The Republican Party cannot pretend that it represents us when it presents candidates against all that we hold dear. Character is the principle issue and character will determine the outcome of this nation.

I agree with Sherry, well I agree with nearly all the comments here and it is refreshing. Where are you people? Why can't we have more of you? I get so concerned when I read the ridiculous comments to be found among the slew of articles online. It concerns me that there are, and it seems to be getting more numerous, people that don't get the connection between socialism and bad for America. That don't get Obama=tyranny. Case in point here is a quote recently posted to my Facebook page, quote: "Obama is not a socialist. Socialism works very well in places like Finland and France and many other advanced European counties where among other things people get free health care and education."

Notice the word free? This word is so misunderstood.

As far as Gingrich goes, character matters and so does political position and then being honest about where you stand. I'm so tired of Gingrich painting himself as a conservative and loving progressive Presidents like FDR. I don't care so much that he's an adulterer, or was, it's that he helped to seek to impeach Clinton all the while... That is the problem. It's the trust factor.

There are more of us!! Many more than you would believe!! Wanna bet?? Present so-called president won't carry one state!!!

It's way past the time to have gotten serious! Why did'nt we get serious when the BUM that's in the white house now came on the scene! It's quite clear that he did'nt come close to qualifying to be president!