POS:

Very well-said. I have learned a handful of things regarding politics as I have lost my political passion over the last fifteen years:

1. The best and the brightest do NOT run for political office. Hell, I'd venture to say that even normal people don't run for political office.

2. The less the federal government tries to do FOR or do TO me, the better.

3. "Gridlock," despite wailing and gnashing of teeth from most of the media, is a very good thing. See #2. Plus, the Founders were smart - they engineered "gridlock" into the system on purpose.