I really don't know how people could stand to watch American Idol for all the weeks it is on, but this week is the only reason to watch this show. Not only will you find the most talented folks at the infancy of their future stardom, you'll also see Simon just mock and put down the not-so-talented. To its core, it's just mean that these people get picked out of a crowd only to be picked on for the enjoyment of the audience, but for this show, that's what sells, not the tedious and slow elimination of competitors down to just one.

Just a couple of days ago when I talked about the Iowa caucus, I mentioned that if Senator John Kerry finishes second and Senator John Edwards could finish third, that would go a long way toward winning the nomination. Polls had shown the race tightening up but the non-stop bashing of former Governor Howard Dean and the need for a fresher voice than the old-hat of Rep. Richard Gephardt has pushed Kerry to a win in Iowa with Edwards a very strong second, putting both in strong position for New Hampshire next week. Dean is probably disappointed with his 3rd place finish but he has run a more national campaign so look for him to stay in contention. However, Gephardt's run is over. Picked by many to win in the state where he won the caucus in 1988, a very weak 4th place finish with very little support in the upcoming primaries has convinced him to withdraw as soon as tomorrow. Taking his place are two people who didn't compete in Iowa to focus on New Hampshire: General Wesley Clark, who has attracted the Clinton vote and is the only one running neck-and-neck with Dean in the national vote, and Sen. Joe Lieberman, on the ticket in 2000 but running in the single digits and hoping for a bounce similar to the one Edwards has seen. The clock is ticking for Al Sharpton and Dennis Kucinich to leave the race but these two are in it to contribute their voice on the issues.