Rather than air prime time coverage of Barack Obama's keynote speech last night, which turned out to be one of the most inspiring political moments this side of Bill Clinton, here is a list of what the major networks choose to run:

CBS - Big Brother 5

NBC - Last Comic Standing

ABC - Less Than Perfect (which was a repeat)

FOX - Quintuplets

There are very few times that I find the words of a good majority of politicians to be of paramount importance. Most of the time I view it as an insiders game, something Washington does with itself, that it finds important, that bears little if any resemblance to anything that happens in the real world. It's a masturbatory exercise; I find a majority of politicians out of touch, relying on polls to find out what their opinions should be and to justify their asinine positions instead of doing what those of you who vote put them into to office for: to lead.

But this election season is important, perhaps the most important of my lifetime. I've always been engaged in political discourse, if abstaining from the actual process. (Although I used to work under Mayor Giuliani's administration, so that's not entirely true, either. What I'm saying, again, is that I've never voted.) I've always been well read and well versed on issues. I disagree with both parties equally, but have a moral issue with the Republican platform. Still, as someone who is incredibly political, I've never experienced a time like the past few years. My friends and I sit around and talk politics, we discuss issues, we argue points. It's encouraging and inspiring. This is the most important election of my lifetime. Barack Obama's speech was a highlight like very few political speeches actually are. And what do the major US networks choose to air in response to the times: Big Brother 5? How are we supposed to make informed decisions as a public when our televisions won't offer the information? Yes, we can read the newspapers and online responses, but does that offer the same experience as watching it? What a bunch of assholes. What idiots at each network decided that Last Comic Standing was of greater importance than Obama's speech? And were they all fired this morning?

"John Kerry believes in America. And he knows it's not enough for just some of us to prosper.

For alongside our famous individualism, there's another ingredient in the American saga.

A belief that we are connected as one people.

If there's a child on the south side of Chicago who can't read, that matters to me, even if it's not my child.

If there's a senior citizen somewhere who can't pay for her prescription and has to choose between medicine and the rent, that makes my life poorer, even if it's not my grandmother.

If there's an Arab American family being rounded up without benefit of an attorney or due process, that threatens my civil liberties.

It's that fundamental belief -- I am my brother's keeper, I am my sisters' keeper -- that makes this country work.

It's what allows us to pursue our individual dreams, yet still come together as a single American family. 'E pluribus unum.' Out of many, one." - Barack Obama.

Thank you to LiberalOasis.com for the quote. No thank you to the network executives who shafted the free exchange of ideas last night in favor of a bottom feeding form of consumerism. I can't believe I have to get pissed off about this shit.