2008 Top Five Political Blunders: What Were They Thinking?

Another Presidential election over and pundit junkies still cannot let go. 2008 turned out to be such a memorable and funny adventure, many may want to revisit the five most memorable and mind-numbing mistakes the politicians made during this past year's Presidential process. Here are my nominees:

1. JOHN EDWARD'S MISTRESS

It may have been late in the process when we discovered Ms. Hunter, but by the time we caught up with the John Edward's affair the apparent love-child was already being followed by the paparazzi. When the critics condemned John Edwards for his expensive haircuts and primping video on U-Tube, I still supported this North Carolina statesman. It was a good thing for many of us that the sex scandal broke after John Edwards bailed out of the race.

2. OBAMA'S RELIGIOUS LEADER

Jeremiah Wright had been a tremendous influence on the UT Church of Chicago and Obama for many years, but the minute Rev. Wright saw his star ascending, he ran for the Press Club and it looked like destiny that he would fall on his own sword like a Shakespearian tragedy. "God Bless America" and let's leave it at that. Romney couldn't clasp the coat-tails of McCain either. There is only room for one windbag in the White House.

3. JOHN MCCAIN'S RUNNING MATE: SARAH PALIN

John McCain truly went out on a limb to save the conservative wing of his supporters during the 2008 Presidential race, but this choice was simply destined to disintegrate once Katie Couric took hold of the inexperienced eccentric. I still believe that Sarah Palin was hand-picked by a group consisting of Hillary Clinton, Pres. Bush, Barney Frank, Nancy Pelossi and Lindsay Graham or anyone else who loves the limelight of the ludicrous legislative process. Sarah Palin did her best work, however, on Saturday Night Live - playing herself - and during her immortal pardoning of the turkey (not all of them) after returning to Alaska.

4. THE NETWORK GADGETS

Three cheers for the top news agencies coming together to outdo one another with wired wizardtry and 3-D animation. Maybe it was the lure of High Definition or examining the boundaries of what modern media can do, but Roman columns popping up out of the floor boards and power-point presentations that looked more like GPS navigation zooming in on county precincts and voter blocks were a little disconcerting. The floating rather than talking heads were hilarious and added new meaning to the term "beam me up Scotty" but holograms are apparently the wave of the future reporter.

5. CLASS DIFFERENCE

Racial and religious differences may not have played a part in the 2008 election, but class difference certainly did. It was apparent from the beginning that the Republicans were woefully out of touch with the American people on the economy, right down to their private party in an exclusive resort in Arizona versus Obama's winning block-party in a public park in Chicago. Haircuts, wardrobe allowances and congressional leaders bailing out Wall Street investors did not endear voters to the present administration. I did not fail to notice the price of oil dropped immediately upon Obama's pronounced victory. Small town America took some solace in watching John McCain downsize the bus and cling to Joe the Plumber, but don't forget Obama had tearful Oprah and "mister man."