Sports, politics, or misery?

It is usually easier to engage people enthusiastically about sports than politics. That may be especially true here in the Denver area, where 41,000 fans showed up to watch the Denver Broncos play a practice scrimmage last week! Broncomania is alive and well, with mile high expectations for the team, which is now under the experienced leadership of quarterback Peyton Manning. Tonight is the first preseason game for the Broncos, as they play the Bears in Chicago.

However, today should also be a big political day in Colorado, as both presidential candidates are campaigning in the state. Obama is speaking at Colorado College, which is the only possible liberal venue in Colorado Springs. Romney is also in Colorado Springs, and he can choose anywhere in the city for a hospitable audience. Senator Rob Portman of Ohio is with Romney.

Two men were standing near me in the store where I work. I asked which of the three events were they most interested in. They both replied, "none of the above!" Both of them expressed disgust at the inability of Republicans and Democrats to get anything done, with the Democrats controlling the Senate, and the Republicans controlling the House of Representatives. They also did not like either presidential candidate. I asked them if either of them had another candidate they would have preferred. They took a while to answer, then one said that he liked Ron Paul in 2008 when he was an independent or libertarian candidate.

So let me get this straight. You wish one party controlled both houses of Congress, but you don't like any of the Republican or Democrat candidates? You want a libertarian or independent Congress? When, exactly, will that happen? Rather than determining which of the two major parties is closest to your views, and working to elect a majority from that party in each house of Congress and the presidency, you prefer to sit on the sidelines and gripe and complain?