The latest cable news numbers are out, and CNN’s prime time performance was dismal, with only the ancient and fawning Larry King managing to stay out of the ratings dungeon.  Probably because he finds a reason to interview Suzanne Somers once every couple of months, which must be sexy for his demographic.  Even so, he finished third out of the four cable network offerings (the networks being CNN, Fox, HLN, and MSNBC).

It’s no surprise.  CNN is by far the closest thing to a non-partisan news outlet remaining on cable.  Come sundown, the cable news vampires come out in full force, sucking the essential truth out of the body politic.

And we as Americans have come down squarely on the side of, well, whatever side we’re on.  We watch what confirms our own beliefs and biases, and now that CNN doesn’t have a polarizing presidential election to run with, they’re dead meat, and dead last.

It’s also no surprise that a nation that amuses itself by watching singers who can’t sing and dancers who can’t dance would choose news that isn’t news.

In the same respect as the WWE, the leading professional wrestling organization, labels itself as “sports entertainment”, Fox and MSNBC should drop the pretense of calling themselves news outlets and begin describing their on-air fare as “news entertainment”.

Perhaps it was a blessing that Uncle Walter (as in Cronkite) passed away recently after a long, fulfilling, life.  There’s no telling what would have happened to his blood pressure upon seeing Hulk Hogan behind an anchor desk.