THE CANDIDATES WHO DIDN'T KNOW WHEN TO SHUT UP

If you are as tired as I am of hearing all the talking heads and self-appointed political pundits ramble on about the mid term elections, raise your hand. There may have been past election years when the choice of candidates included so many extremists, but memory fails me. The best way to really get to know who these people are is to hear exactly what they have said, rather than to hear O’Reilley/Stewart/Colbert/Maddow/Spitzer/Matthews/Gregory/Amanpour/Olberman/Mitchell/Ratigan/Beck/Limbaugh/Hannity/Cooper/Blitzer, Dancer, Prancer and Vixen “interpret” their words. After all, you’re smart enough to figure out what the candidates really mean. While you’re reading and listening to this stuff, ask yourself this: Is this who I really want representing me and managing the United States of America? Really, is it???

CARL PALADINO, Republican candidate for New York Governor, says he thinks unemployed people who are on welfare should be sent to former psychiatric hospitals and prisons where they can learn things like hygiene. Really, he said that. Paladino, a somewhat educated thug who admittedly sends out racist, misogynistic emails and who wants to repeal the ban on assault weapons in NY, is somehow just naive enough to believe that New Yorkers would have him as their Governor. Watch:

KEN BUCK, Colorado Republican nominee for Senate is running neck and neck with his Democratic challenger, even though he has made some pretty outrageous proclamations during the campaign. Just last Sunday he lumped homosexuality in with alcoholism and declared begin gay a choice, because “you can choose your partner.” Watch:

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SHARRON ANGLE, Tea Party lovechild who is running against Harry Reid for the Nevada Senate seat is the gift that keeps on giving for comics and satirists. Decidedly an all-American girl, she seems to think people believe she is Asian. Huh? Watch this video of her speaking to a group made up entirely of Hispanic students. But before you do, know that as of this morning, Angle and Harry Reid are virtually tied in the polls.Go figure:

Christine O'Donnell, Delaware's answer to Lucy Ricardo just yesterday made the misstep of her entire candidacy. It seems the not-a-witch comic relief of the 2010 mid-years has never read the mere 45 words of the first amendment. You know -- the part that constitutionally established the separation of church and state. Right in front of legal scholars and law students at Widener University Law School, O'Donnell expressed surprise that the amendment addressed the separation. Really. Watch:

At some point we all must step back from party loyalties, collective anger over economic doldrums, considerations of race or gender and let reason re-establish itself. That will be the moment when we allow ourselves to know that there are too many candidates this year that should not have a place in our government. Thugs and sexists and eccentrics racists and ill-prepared political wannabes notwithstanding, this is still America. And in America we have standards to uphold. So that moment that reason re-enters our electoral system is critical. Let's just hope it comes before November 2.