Bay Buchanan has quit the punditry business because "I can't just live my life going on TV and being angry all the time," she told the Washington Examiner's Paul Bedard. After decades in politics — she was treasurer for Ronald Reagan's presidential campaign, managed her brother Pat's three unsuccessful tries, and appeared frequently on news shows — Buchanan has now become a realtor. She thinks her past career will help her in this endeavor. "Being somebody that they kind of know will be a real positive and, as you know, I'm just a charming person," Buchanan said. 

In the months leading up to the election, Buchanan seemed deeply worried. She said on Meet the Press in September, "We are in perilous times in this country. We are looking at financial ruin. We are looking at dependency." It would only get worse unless America voted for Mitt Romney. But America did not vote for Mitt Romney. Two days later, Buchanan started taking realtor classes. McEnearney Associates Inc. is now open for business in McLean, Virginia.

Earlier this month, a despondent Ann Coulter turned to observation comedy. "With the Democrats controlling the Senate and presidency, nothing good can possibly come out of Washington for at least another two years. So I thought I'd start the new year with something useful, like a short list of bad inventions," Coulter wrote. These included quiet dishwashers. Last summer, President Obama said of Republican opposition to his policies, "when we're successful in this election, that the fever may break." This was not true of congressional Republicans. But it has held true for a couple pundits.

Want to add to this story? Let us know in comments or send an email to the author at ereeve at theatlantic dot com. You can share ideas for stories on the Open Wire.
Elspeth Reeve