Just how crazy is Sharron Angle? (5)

By Michael J.W. Stickings

So crazy, it would seem, that her campaign won't let her answer any questions:

The day after walking out of her own campaign event when reporters were offered an opportunity to ask questions, Nevada GOP Senate nominee Sharron Angle on Thursday responded to a question from a reporter -- to tell them she wasn't answering the question.

For the second day in a row, Angle's campaign alerted the press that they were holding a campaign event where the Republican would offer critical remarks on the estate tax.

After giving a three-minute speech on the tax Wednesday, Angle bolted for the door when asked to make herself available to answer questions from the press.

Angle took a beating in local and national news reports of the event. So on Thursday, Angle's campaign hoped to make the ground rules for the event crystal clear.

The rules? Only one issue, only questions on that issue -- and hardly an essential one, except to the wealthy. (The Las Vegas Sun has more on the story here, noting that Wednesday's event was "the first time since her primary victory that she had agreed to mingle with the media.")

But, really, the main rule is to keep Angle shielded from herself, to keep her from embarrassing herself, to keep her from actually having to engage in a meaningful way in the democratic process, to keep the voters of Nevada from actually getting to know her and learning what she stands for. Because, of course, she's a crazy right-wing extremist (who apparently can only handle a few pre-packaged speaking points at a time).

Remember how the McCain campaign tried to keep Palin out the spotlight, and away from reporters, instead sending her out to rally the mob, with occasional stops to be idolized by those infatuated with her on the right, until her embarrassing performance with Katie Couric proved that it had good reason to do so? Well, at least Palin could wink and smile and flirt and speak in easy-to-swallow right-wing platitudes and make conservative men drool. Angle has none of that, er, charm, and, without it, her craziness is naked. Harry Reid's campaign is effectively exposing that craziness, but she's doing a lot of it on her own, and it's hardly any wonder she's now floundering in the polls.