The shopping of the presidency

Still shopping for a presidential candidate? In today's ultra-competitive world, the average supermarket has 40,000 brand items on its shelves. According to the latest national poll, evaluating the cereal aisle alone requires an investment of 17.9 hours spread out over three times as many days -- longer if you take into account hot cereals, bulk cereals, cereal bars, and cereals used as a secondary ingredient in non-cereal products, such as Yoplait Blueberry Crumble. With such intense demands being made on your schedule, do you really want to spend a lot of time trying to make an informed political decision?

At Me! Me! Media, we understand what it is to be faced with a plethora of political choices, in addition to an endless barrage of historically significant events that, aside from their profound impact on millions of lives, offer no real "human interest." Who needs it?

So when it comes down to choosing the best person to lead the nation during these times of heightened global discord, economic uncertainty and environmental crisis, we at Me! Me! Media don't beat around the bush. No way! We say, "Here's the bush. Here's a bunch of non-bushes. And here's 15 seconds of one of the non-bushes doing something that we have distorted for your entertainment. End of story. Bring on the beer commercial with the farting horse."

In that spirit, Me! Me! Online now offers you the following E-Z shopping tips to help you "Pick Your Prez."

"All clear": Preparing the space

Before you begin, do a few simple yoga stretches and drink directly out of the Johnny Walker bottle. Once you've lit the scented candles, it's very important to clear away the clutter. That's where we come in. (Warning: If you can still remember past election or articulate the difference between a caucus and a primary, you may need to hire a personal organizer to suck the intelligence right out of you.)

"So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye!": Dealing with issues

What are issues? In today's world, issues are things that people have. As in, "My ex-boss has issues." Or, "I am sorry if you were offended when I insulted the host, but I happen to have issues with being served high-sodium salad dressing."

Unfortunately, presidential candidates don't really "get" this, because they are stuck in the past. To them, the word "issues" signifies areas of vital concern to the overwhelming majority of people. As if anybody cared!

Besides, the proper technical term for those, uh, political thingies, is "baggage." For example, if you hear a presidential candidate say, "I'm here to address the issues of national security, foreign policy, the war in Iraq, the skyrocketing deficit, the loss of jobs, and the need for affordable housing and healthcare," you should turn to your significant other and say, "Man, that guy's got a lot of baggage."

But don't freak out about it, 'cause at Me! Me! Media we guarantee you'll never hear Word One about the issues. Hey, you're welcome!

"Nap time!": Doing the research

By now, you're probably thinking, "Whew! This is really hard! I need a beer! Who's on Leno?" And you'd be right. There is someone on Leno. But hang in there, because the intellectually challenging stuff is still to come. Yes, this is the part where we say, "Stay tuned for an in-depth report about Sen. Blah Blah or Gov. Yada Yada." Relax -- it'll be over in two and a half minutes! And when it is, you'll have all the criteria you need on which to form a rational decision, be fully cognizant of the long-term consequences, and enjoy free long-distance calling after 7 p.m. (Offer not valid in Arizona.)

"Here we go! Wheeeee!": So pick someone already

Buyer's remorse is the pits. To carefully review your decision, ask yourself:

Does my candidate...

In terms of policies, platform and experience, would you say...