Media Adds Huntsman [UPDATE NOW PATAKI] To GOP "Possible Candidate" List Of [NOW]18.Don't Miss Your Chance for 15 Minutes Meaningless Speculation Fame

As I suggested the eventual step for the media will be to simply list the telephone directory-today Politico (which is turning into a junk blog for Jon Stewart viewers age/lib types) trotted out an article suggesting George Pataki from New York is "mulling a run". The media still has a huge list of Republican office holders to work their way through but you have a chance to get your 15 minutes still.

Just these last two weeks the media has run articles on Daniels/Pence/Barbour/Bachman as 2012 likely Republican candidates for the presidential nomination with all ensuing breathless analysis. Then this week they had a field day with the news that Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman may be making his moves and produced screeds of analysis on how that may hurt Romney's chances.

During this period the running attacks on Palin's possible candidacy, Huckabee's sojourns to Israel and Alaska, Romney finally lifting his profile, Pence out of the running carried on relentlessly.

But why should these 18 have all the fun-since the media seem determined that anyone is a possible candidate,given some of these putative "candidates' are pretty far-fetched? Why shouldn't the man/woman in the street get their 15 minutes of media speculation? Go on,send an email to your local newspaper announcing you too are a candidate.

That would be taking things just as seriously as they are now.

Here's the latest list of the 18 people the media have designated as running
George Pataki
Donald Trump
Herman Cain
Mike Huckabee
Sarah Palin
Mitt Romney
Newt Gingrich
Chris Christie
Rick Perry
Mitch Daniels
Tim Pawlenty
Mike Pence
Haley Barbour
Jim DeMint
Jon Huntsman
Rick Santorum
John Thune
Michele Bachman