That's one way to explain no GOP council seats

In our continuing effort to alert you to the crackling insights shaping today's political dialogue, we refer you to a comment by Summit County Republican Chairman Alex Arshinkoff to the Beacon Journal to explain  the absence of a single member of his party on Akron City Council.  Asked why the GOP hasn't elected a Republican to a ward seat  for 15 years - nor an at-large seat for 46 years -  the chairman for many of those shutout years told reporter Stephanie Warsmith that it's largely about demographics.

"It is very difficult for us even to compete in the African-American sections of the city," he said.  (Does this refer to the more upscale Ward 8?)

The problem  is  the ongoing effort by the party's deep thinkers in Ohio and other states  to circumvent  or shrink the African-American vote with various ploys that haven't worked.  Years ago Arshinkoff talked about how the party was making an effort to expand its base to include minorities.  Didn't happen.  Not even close.  Think the word didn't reach  the aforementioned sections of town that  black voters aren't on the party's A-list?

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Heavens!  Sarah's back. Hasn't lost a syllable in her chirping indignation that she isn't provided her very own limo to important Republican events.  So there she was, so full of her Palinesque Tea Party self on Fox, repeating the charges against the Obama administration, including a rehashed reference to Benghazi.  She's now expanded her oratorical ramble to include Republican Mitch McConnell.  She wants to turn him into a loser   in next year's election.  That much, she knows something about , having lost in 2008  despite accompanying a war hero  at the top of the ticket.  Somebody ought to talk to her about also being available for weddings and wakes to liven up things.

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Finally, speaking of absurdities,you can always find something bizarre about the Sean Hannity Show.  In his armored panzer assaults on Obamacare, he brought in  a panel to tug at your heartstrings over what each guest must suffer from health care reforms.  Turns out to be sort of a stunt, full of sound and fury signifying nothing.

Salon reporter Eric Stern decided to contact the guests  and found a lack of awareness in each.  One worried guest told him that he had to cut back his staff to four because of new costs.  You'd think  Hannity would have intervened  with a touch of reality by noting Obamacare does not apply to employers with fewer than 50  workers.  Others noted  that the new insurance rates would cost them much more.  But Stern checked each and learned that it simply wasn't true.

Stern concluded: "I don't doubt that these six individuals believe that Obamacare is a disaster; but none of them had even visited an insurance exchange."

But, of course, we're talking about a la-la Hannity event, aren't we?  .

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That is a small portion of the week that was - and will be again this week.