If someone believes the Democrats want to institute mandatory gay marriage, remove every gun from every home, convert each person to Islam and take money from hardworking Americans and give it to crack addicts in inner-city Detroit, they probably already have a program on Fox News.

Cable news is a vast wasteland for political discourse and what it lacks in thought is made up for in egomaniacal, dimwitted hosts. Nearly every corner of CNN, MSNBC and Fox News is permeated with programs that sensationalize the mundane and turn unsubstantiated rumors into political talking points. With news coverage that schizophrenically shifts from hyperbole to opinion to news to hyperbole, it is easy to see why so many disaffected Americans abandoned reality for the far extremes of political lunacy with their Snuggies.

Everyone has an anchor they love to hate. For some, Tucker Carlson and his dweeby bowtie represent the bane of existence, while others find Sean Hannity’s insufferable opinions to be the ultimate in political theater. Personally, I find Glenn Beck – the current man of the hour at Fox News – to be the crème de la crème of partisan hacks. Beck is more emotional and delirious than a glue-sniffing vagabond.

Every episode is a duplicate of the previous evening’s rancid rants (not to be confused with my highly nuanced rants) and ideological garbage. Talking about socialism like it’s venereal disease, Beck displays a level of ignorance rarely seen outside of George W. Bush’s White House.

When Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast, sending the residents of New Orleans into the vortex of one of the greatest disasters in American history, Beck displayed his mental incapacity when he said, “When I saw these people … I didn’t think I could hate victims faster than the 9-11 victims.” Hard news is not even expected from the networks as opinions are now streamlined into the public’s veins like an IV drip. Someone has to make a desperate plea for Beck’s mass of disenchanted supporters to remove the shroud of ignorance and return to reality.

Both sides of the political spectrum are guilty of exploiting fear and ignorance for ratings. MSNBC host Keith Olbermann passes the multi-part talking head test with distinction: (1) He shouts at the top of his lungs, (2) emits an aura of superiority, (3) selects guests that are more spineless than jellyfish and (4) authored a book with an excessively long title.

By criticizing Olbermann, I know I’m breaking the 11th commandment – Thou shall not speak ill of thy fellow liberal blowhards – but, falling into a dogmatic faction with Olbermann stands in stark contrast to the essence of Socratic thought.

The changing of the guard that occurred with President Barack Obama’s inauguration was not limited to the White House. Media coverage of the event reflected a similar shift in American power. The bombastic punditry of Fox News was replaced with the bombastic punditry of MSNBC. When MSNBC anchors aligned themselves with the new president, they turned into the same mindless demagogues they revile at FOX News.

Cultivating a democratic populace is reliant on an informed citizenry that respects the convictions of others. This state of mind is difficult to obtain, especially on vexing issues, but continually questioning your beliefs and why you believe them is a tenant in democracy. As long as Lou Dobbs and Glenn Beck spew from the self-proclaimed pulpit of “Independent Populism” – whatever that is – a voice of sanity will remain elusive in these trying times.