Are We Really Debating An Unscripted Sip Of Water During A Political Speech?

Last night, while delivering the GOP’s response to President Obama’s State of the Union address, Senator Marco Rubio took an unscripted sip of water. Now the political press is calling it “watergate” (not to be confused with the Nixon-era scandal which is the origin of the ubiquitous “-gate” suffix for political scandals).

The hyperventilating over something as inconsequential as taking a drink of water may be the best evidence yet of just how frivolous our political media has become.

Here’s Senator Rubio laughing it off on Good Morning America this morning. “God has a funny way of reminding us we’re human,” he said.

That a case of dry mouth, and a sip of water, could overshadow what Senator Rubio actually said during his response is a symbol for everything that’s wrong with politics, and political journalism, in America.