Re: they never left.
It has a meaning, and of course you know exactly what it is.
You may, if you wish, substitute "flunkies," "lackies," "shills," "sycophants," "Renfields," "toadies," "asskissers," or anything else that describes the fawning, roll-over-on-your-back-and-widdle attitude of most of the mainstream media toward Obama and the Democratic Party. The few exceptions stand out from the rest like soap in a coal pile.
And after your last rant, it's amusing to see you even make a pun out of "ad hominem."