Regular readers know that my reality TV show of choice is CBS' The Amazing Race. Although this season isn't the show's best, it's still one of the best hours on television each week (Tuesdays at 9, 8 central time).

With five teams remaining, some people will speculate about who is most likely to win the "cash prize of one million dollars". But not me, at least not yet. Before I can pick a winner, I've got to analyze the candidates even more. I want to get inside their heads and find out what makes them tick. Maybe if I can figure out their political philosophy, I can figure out who will cross the finish line first (and, if you don't watch TAR, don't worry, once we've seen a few episodes of The Apprentice, we're going to give those contestants the same treatment).

Kris & Jon: are fan favorites due to their good looks and great attitudes. But behind that attitude, it's easy to tell that they're libertarians. With their isolationist sensibilities and self reliance, they naturally shun alliances and prefer to go it alone. They're tolerant of other cultures and feel no need to impose American mores on the rest of the world. While they've made no friends among the other teams, they've made no enemies either. Right now, they're the favorites to win.

Freddy & Kendra: With a nickname like "Team Nuance", it's pretty clear that Freddy & Kendra are liberal Democrats. In the face of uncertainty, Kendra is paralyzed. She'd rather study the options endlessly than actually do anything. After seeing Hotel Rwanda, her preference for inaction kind of reminds me of the UN. Like some Democrats, Freddy & Kendra have, at times, been more concerned with keeping up their alliance than with winning the game. While I'm sure they think they're compassionate, their contempt for others was demonstrated when Kendra, in Dakar, Senegal, exclaimed disbelief that the city's poor would just keep "breeding and breeding". Freddy & Kendra aren't a terrible team, but they've shown no ability to work creatively or on their own.

Adam & Rebecca: are Greens. His crazy devil horn hair screams "pay attention to me" while their bickering reminds me of nothing so much as revolutionaries tearing each other apart over their committment to "the cause". Like Greens, Adam & Rebecca are self-absorbed drama queens. Their behavior is erratic. At times they can be utterly charming, but then, in the next second, they'll turn sullen. Then, they wonder why no other teams want to be near them or work with them. Adam & Rebecca are the ultimate fringe team and I expect them to be the next ones out.

Hayden & Aaron: are the Republicans in the race. They're really not that different from their liberal Democrat allies, Freddy & Kendra. However, they have shown the ability to bounce back from adversity. To me, they're more likely to figure out a way to solve a problem, rather than just sit there are cry about it. And, they even mirror the split in the Republican party. Hayden is a little joyless and unforgiving (the Moral Majority if you will), while Aaron is more of a South Park Republican: irreverent and pragmatic. Like Republicans, Hayden & Aaron are strong and stand a great chance of winning, unless they decide to fight each other rather than the other teams.

Lori & Bolo: have shown a lot of socialist characteristics. They're very concerned about fairness (no butting in line!). They seem to rely on the rules of the game to help them, rather than help themselves. So far, it's worked out for them, as they've fallen behind time after time, only to luck out and get evened up with everyone else through the rules of the game. But, I think that Lori & Bolo's reliance on the system, rather than themselves, will be their eventual downfall. I don't expect them to make the final three.

Phil: Finally we have Phil, the host of the show. And, let's face it: Phil's a dictator. He declares who's eliminated every week. Luckily, Phil's really cool. So he's more of a benevolent dictator. In fact, I think he's Aristotle's Philosopher King!

So there you have it: the philosophy of TAR. I'm just thankful that the commies and fascists have already been philiminated.