I referred to the famous line from “Network” in my Oct. 17 “Journalism” post. Apparently, Carl Paladino, or Crazy Carl, the nutty N.Y. Republican nominee for governor, has co-opted “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take this anymore!”

In my earlier post I was thinking of poor Howard Beale, the news anchor in “Network” who finally goes beserk. Beale was co-opted by right-wing corporate interests: Think Rupert Murdoch and the like.

In the early ’70s, I was outraged by an ad that appeared in Boston MBTA stations: “Get a peace of the action” with a guy holding his hand up in a peace sign. The ad was for a car dealership. Guess the joke was on us peaceniks.

That inane language weirdness reminds me of the current political climate, with tea party loonies yelling about the need for a Republican populist takeover, while the rich get richer. Tea party candidates benefit from undisclosed campaign contributions — thanks to the right-leaning activist U.S. Supreme Court.

After all these years being a political junkie, teaching about politics  and trying to be a menschette (the feminine of a good person), I still don’t get how so many Americans carry on about socialism/communism/liberalism and whatever tag line the wealthy choose to finish off the middle class. Yeah, don’t fund education or health care; that’ll put us in our place.

Instead, supposedly sane Americans are being co-opted to care more whether the separation of church and state is Constitutional (duh?), if gays can marry, or women can control their own bodies — while tea partiers profess to want government out of our lives???? Pleeeeeeeaze.

I still like Barack. He doesn’t have the stomach for all this crap. I’m an optimist too, and had hoped his eloquence and intellect would change the political climate.  Didn’t Wild Bill leave us with a budget surplus and The Dumb Decider leave us in humongous debt? Cmon’ people!

This election is a sham if candidates win who don’t have sufficient education or real-world experience, who collect stimulus funds while railing against it.

No doubt that my media brothers and sisters are spinning tea party wins, contributing to fear and loathing on the progressive side.

Enough ranting. I’m going for a hike.

It ain’t over till the fat lady sings…it ain’t over till the fat lady sings.