At the circus

Anybody who slept in today might be wondering if South Carolina’s Republican primary was just a dream. The mid-morning announcements of Joe Paterno’s death and Gabrielle Giffords’ resignation have swept Gingrich v. Romney to sidebar status, capturing almost perfectly the “bread and circuses” flavor of consensus reality today.

The picture won’t be complete, of course, until one of the Hilton twins runs naked through Times Square.

And what’s shakin’ with corporate media’s reluctance to cover Ron Paul as if he were an actual presidential candidate? Because he is, you know. Isn’t he?