Even if there are still houses (some nights including ours) with lights still on and even if there are still tinsel trees decorated and there's one xmas cookie left, I think I have to declare that the holiday season is over. And it is now, alas, the-stupid-it-burns season (aka republican primary season). Yesterday was the Iowa caucuses. Were the Iowa caucuses? Anyway, what to my wondering eyes should appear but Rick Santorum finishing only 8 votes behind Mittens Romney. zOMG! WTF! And other things so-called kids today say. Truly Iowa must be a portal to bizarro world.
My take is pretty similar to John Scalzi's. Except I don't think I'd call this "childlike glee" but more like "evil gloating."
For those who take Santorum a bit more seriously, here's an excellent rant (accurately described on Balloon Juice as "epic") by Dan Savage.
Meanwhile, Bachmann is out. Which surprised me, actually. I think a good chunk of the contemporary GOP takes running for office as seriously as they take the actual responsibilities of governing. That is, not seriously at all. So I expected more of them to keep running even though they're clearly not going to get out of the single digits in any primary or caucus. At least Sideshow Rick Perry didn't disappoint. Having announced that he was going to take some time and assess his campaign, he clearly spent about as much time as he does on any major decision (+/- 12 hours or until he learned that Bachmann was dropping out) before deciding that he did, in fact, want to keep spending $800+ per vote to come in fifth.

good times...