Cable News Gets SOTU-Mania

If the rest of the world wasn't already laughing at us, they surely will now after getting a glimpse of our cable news State of the Union coverage.

If the rest of the world was not already laughing at us, they surely are now, considering the silliness and inanity of our politics, which is now broadcast worldwide thanks to cable television and the internet.

Consider, for instance, this from CNN’s Wolf Blitzer:

Here’s a little State of the Union trivia for you. Over the past decade, presidents have either worn a red or blue tie during their annual address to the nation. President Obama actually wore red and white striped ties for the past two years. Does that mean he’ll go with blue tonight, maybe even purple?

Stay tuned. We’ll find out which tie he will wear.

We’re watching other important stories [emphasis added], including Rahm Emanuel’s on-again, off-again campaign to become Chicago’s next mayor…

No, I’m not making this up!

CNN also has a clock in the lower left-hand corner of its screen: to count down the time remaining until kickoff -- er, I mean, the time when the president delivers his address! “STARTS IN: 3hrs, 40 min, 01 sec.”

Then there’s this, off to the right of the countdown clock:

“DATE NIGHT” UNDER THE DOME

A true show of bipartisanship or a stunt?

This, of course, is a reference to the fact that, in an ostentatious display of “bipartisanship,” members of Congress are sitting next to other members who are not of their own political party.

Fortunately for us, Blitzer had a breaking news update about this, too.

As we countdown to the president’s State of the Union Address, we have an update on what’s been dubbed ‘Date Night in Congress.’

The House Majority Leader, Eric Cantor, had to pick a new bipartisan buddy after the Minority Leader, Nancy Pelosi, turned him down. We’re told he’ll sit with Democratic Congressman Bobby Scott [from Virginia].

Even supporters of this idea to mix it up -- mix up that usual party-line seating -- admit it’s a little bit like high school. But they argue it does send a very good message.

Really? What kind of message, I wonder, does it send to the rest of the world that we Americans obsess about such silly stuff?

John Guardiano blogs at www.ResoluteCon.Com, and you can follow him on Twitter: @JohnRGuardiano.

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