WASHINGTON, D.C. Feb. 20 (DPI) – A college student fetching ranch dressing in a crowded Iowa diner interrupted a candidate’s campaign stop yesterday, an unremarkable incident to which The Washington Post dedicated a lengthy report.

The not-so-newsworthy distraction – in effect, a 22-year-old University of Iowa senior named Hanna Kinney walked through a press event organized by NY Sen. and Democratic Presidential candidate Kirsten Gillibrand, declaring “sorry, I’m just trying to get some ranch” – somehow got published as news this morning. The interruption, which warranted a post-interruption press interview with the student,  was documented in a 17-second video, now viewed 700,000 times.

The Post article ran hundreds of words and included seven links to twitter posts and of course the video.

The Post, perhaps ill-advisedly, added a comment section to the article, which to many readers seemed to reinforce all the worst perceptions of presidential campaigns (they’re too long) and of the press corps (they are only too happy, in the absence of substance, to resort to covering trivia).

Some comments remarked on the student’s major (Bible studies) while others slammed the student for putting ranch dressing on pizza. One wrote, in a conspicuous non-sequitor, they’d never forgive Gillibrand for pushing out Al Franken.

But the most popular of the 230 comments linked to the ranch dressing incursion reminded everyone that their time had just been wasted:

This is a great example of the trivial junk we’re going to be stuck with for the next two years. It is ridiculous, irrelevant and could have been told in two paragraphs. This is why it’s hard to take campaigns and campaign coverage seriously. And don’t we have far, far more serious matters before us right now? Our democracy is on the verge of being destroyed. I’d rather read about the issues and how someone plans to turn this thing around, not ranch dressing. C’mon.

This story is boring, inconsequential and way, way, way too long. What is the matter with you? A casserole of yada yada tweets about a woman who can’t get her ranch dressing. Are you crazy?

A stark reminder of how meaningless it’s all become – a campaign too long, a media too groveling and too desperate for cheap and entertaining content. God help us.

Lighten up, everybody! It’s a light hearted, fun story for a snowy day. We could all use a chuckle now and then, at least I sure do.