Losing focus, losing ground

Let's be honest: this whole political season has become little more than a reality TV show, the top candidates determined by who creates the best drama, not who presents the best ideas.
I'm not even sure how many people are running for president on the Republican side, but I do know that most of what we hear comes from Govs. Romney and Perry, and Sen. Bachman.
Why? Because they go after each other. Those three have been deemed the front-runners, and they're fighting for that spot at the front of the pack.
But are those the top three because they really have the best ideas? Or because they provide the best TV, which gets them the most attention, so when people are polled over who they like those seem to be the only three choices?
Let's detour for a minute. The Democrats would seem to have a simpler process, but even on that side there is talk that President Obama should step down after one term so the party can push Hilary Clinton. It's drama, and good talk/tv.
Still, clearly the real drama is on the Republican side.
I'm tired of hearing Romney-Perry-Bachman. And I fear the Republicans are allowing themselves to get caught up in tearing each other down rather than, as Newt Gingrich has tried to do, focus on presenting ideas and concentrating on defeating the current president.
Yes, I like Gingrich's ideas. I know he's got more baggage than Michelle Obama's 40-person entourage had on its return from that shopping trip to France.
But I also want the American public to hear more from Herman Cain. And former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum. And new-comer to the mix, New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson.
Utah Gov. Huntsman doesn't interest me, but sure - he is entitled to express his ideas, too. I want to hear them.
Oh, and Sarah Palin is still out there, lurking.
Instead, we've seen Romney-Perry-Bachman become interchangeable candidates, accusing each other and back-tracking and trying their best to trip each othe rup while scrambling for the most memorable line of the night that will get talked about the most the next day.
It's not supposed to be a Hollywood show, but it is.
It's disappointing. And it will take a lot of effort if Americans do indeed choose to see through the drama and choose what they honestly believe is best for the country.
And the real victory will be if we the people somehow manage to refuse to be suckered in by the media drama, listen, consider them all, and choose not on who gets the most headlines but who reaches the most minds and hearts.
Otherwise, we might as well hope that Snooki enters the race.