From what I see it's less a political thing at Cracked these days and more of just a "this thing bugs me and if I write that it bugs me that makes it funny" (i.e., what you describe as "one column which can be whatever the fuck the columnist wants to talk about"). It seems as if the site is less of a humor site and more of an opinion one these days. Even the photoplasties are turning into editorials typed onto a stock image.
