Sharron Angle is only doing what Sarah Palin did - ducking the media, channeling her message entirely to the base, avoiding what she called the "filter" whereby her statements and record could actually be challenged by reporters. Angle has not quite gotten away with it because the Nevada press is much, much more professional than the national press corps. But she's trying. And she heralds a possible era in which candidates do not even pretend to be accountable, but exist in a bubble of machine politics, with its own media apparatus, designed for p.r. not scrutiny.

And then there are the clones, as above. If the pretty, big-boobed, gun-toting hottie paradigm was enough to get an unbalanced know-nothing thisclose to the presidency, then you can rest assured others took notice.

We want to hear what you think about this article. Submit a letter to the editor or write to letters@theatlantic.com.