It may just be that we as a nation are just too mesmerized by bright, shiny objects and are not cut out for running a republic. I have friends who can precisely summarize The Bachelorette's previous night's story-line, but don't have a clue about what is happening in their local, state, and national governments. Or don't care.

How else can one explain the consistent re-election of the same Congress that can barely manage to poll single-digit approval ratings? Or, in our own legislature, the continual re-election of oil-company-employee lobbyists masquerading as legislators?