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The year in politics, as told by the Internet

By
December 23, 2014 at 9:00 a.m. EST
Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton poses for a selfie during the Legal Services Corporation's 40th anniversary conference at the Omni Shoreham Hotel September 15, 2014 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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A lot of big things happened in politics in 2014. There was an election, for example -- although maybe you didn't even notice.

Protests exploded in New York and Missouri after unarmed black men were killed by police officers and those officers weren't charged. The Islamic State continued to expand its reach -- and the United States responded. The McCutcheon v. FEC decision gave wealthy Americans new ways to invest in elections, and the Burwell v. Hobby Lobby case said that forcing some corporations with religious objections to offer employers offer free contraception was against the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. People talked about Hillary Clinton, Republicans won control of Congress and Ebola spread in the U.S. (and then didn't).

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Lots of very inconsequential things happened in politics too. These things, of course, will be saved for posterity along with all the big things that happened, because the Internet.

Here is a list of some of the things that happened in politics only on the Internet this year -- meaning that you quickly forgot them (until now!). They mean nothing, except that you clicked on them once and wasted seconds of your life.

When you are 87, you will regret the time you spent watching Mark Pryor's ice bucket challenge. We feel safe saying that.

Read on if you wish to watch Mark Pryor's ice bucket challenge again, among other things. Heck, read on even if you don't. After all, it's almost Christmas!

McConnell-ing

In March, Sen. Mitch McConnell's (R-Ky.) campaign put a video on its YouTube page that featured no words. It was weird.

People started providing their own soundtracks.

The McConnell campaign got in on the fun.

You forgot this ever happened, didn't you?

There was a campaign ad featuring a talking dog

He said, "I like turtle soup."

Again, this happened in the last 12 months.

There was a campaign ad featuring an adaptation of a song from "Frozen"

Chuck Grassley went to Dairy Queen

For you know what.

Chuck Grassley explained why he went to Dairy Queen

For you know what, we've been over this.

Bobby Tufts got voted out of office

He was five, and he served two terms as mayor in Dorset, Minn.

Selfies

There were a lot of them. The only good one was this one with Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.)

An elected official wore a clip-on bow tie and polo shirt at the same time at the Capitol, and GQ promised to fix him

John Oliver gave us 10 uninterrupted minutes of dogs acting like Supreme Court justices

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) danced with Jimmy Fallon

It featured some endearingly earnest dancing. But also, it was about a politician dancing, which is almost never a completely good thing.

Nearly every person on a ballot this year did an ice bucket challenge

None of them has many views on YouTube, because it's a person pouring ice water over his or her head..

A senator helped a college student do a keg stand

In a few weeks, she will no longer be in office.

Political trackers followed Scott Brown around in a canoe

Probably a metaphor for something.

Legislators held hands, looked miserable

Definitely a metaphor for something.

House Speaker John Boehner made a video about a wind-up monkey

Boehner (R-Ohio) explains that it's a metaphor for something.

Obama wore a tan suit

This incident led White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest to later say, "The president stands squarely behind the decision he made yesterday to wear his summer suit."

Barack Obama went 'Between Two Ferns'

A person in a horse mask shook Obama's hand

Michelle Obama made a 'Turn Down for What' joke

Joe Biden made faces during the State of the Union

Rep. John Dingell learned what a Kardashian was.

Someone said, 'I’ve got a Master’s in raising hell' during the Idaho GOP gubernatorial debate

Someone wore jorts during a Vermont gubernatorial debate

Vermont.

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