Scattered Thoughts

TNB is finding it difficult to completely drop politics from his thought process He does usually focus and everything written here isn't just a scattered thought, although it may seem that way. For instance:

• It's not to soon to start planning for the 2016 elections. The nominating conventions will begin soon after President Obama opens the Chicago Olympics. Joe Biden will be nearing 72 and that age has not been attractive to the electorate as we've just seen. Plus, his hair plugs and gleaming teeth could be falling out. There might be a opportunity for someone special to lead Republicans out of the wilderness and since African-Americans have broken the presidential barrier, why not a female Governor of a remote state outside the Continental US? No, not her but rather Gov. Linda Lingle of Hawaii , who would also be the first Jewish president (you were expecting Rahm Emanuel?). She's reputed to be a close friend of the future hostess of the reality show Shotgun Weddin' so her slogan could be "I'm just pallin' around with Sarah".
• Now that thankfully there are no longer any political commercials, the programs appealing to seniors (e.g. the news) are once again full of pitches for new drugs. It's hard to believe that anyone would even ask their doctor to prescribe these frightening potions with their vast array of side effects (even including, honestly, possibly causing cancer!). Viewers might be misled, of course, by the healthy glow of the "patients" portrayed in these ads, who supposedly suffer from all sorts of debilitating or embarrassing conditions such as osteoporosis, incontinence, flatulence, hemorrhoids and baldness in addition to several unmentionable ones (at least by TNB). Why is such "direct to patient" advertising allowed if the required disclaimers are so counterproductive?
• Although it was apparent that most TV comedians and other humorists wanted Barack Obama to win, many are now having second thoughts. The new administration doesn't look like it will present as many opportunities for humor. Really, George W. Bush should receive royalties for 8 years of providing a perfect target to lampoon. And while Joe Biden might come down with an advanced case of "hoof in mouth" disease, he certainly is no Dick Cheney. And of course, who can ever replace Sarah Palin whose every utterance was turned into a comical interlude? When we didn't have an election going on (was there ever such a time?) what did Jon Stewart, Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, David Letterman et al talk about? Vladimir Putin, Osama Bin Laden, Hugo Chavez and Pope Benedict don't exactly provide a barrel of laughs. Nor does the economy, the new television season or the Cubs.