Politics, A Game That Has No End - Of Commentary

"Otto, you wrote that you were just glad the elections were over. I've been reading you for years and know that you know the political season is never over. They just take a break, send the losers down to the minor leagues and it all begins again.

I think your headline 'A new day brings more hope' is more a wish than a reality. When you suggested that we need to limit the presidential campaigns to six weeks, you went from wishing to the world of fantasy. There is too much power, influence and millions of dollars at stake for any of this to be reduced. Bill Reynolds."

Bill's letter is reflective of others who see the system as more of a money game than any sort of ideological battle. Politics, as you might imagine, dominated your comments this week.

•On the same subject, Scott Pedersen thinks the theme of this campaign sums up the decade.

"Any reporting of the political arena clearly makes this decade, 2000-2009, the Naughty Aughties. A brief recap of just Election 2008 strongly supports the nomenclature for the Naughty Aughties.

- Palin being chosen as a running mate

- Palin's pitbull lipstick, Joe Six-pack and foreign policy

- Obama's lipstick on a pig

- Palin's Troopergate

- Joe the Plumber

- Obama's 'terrorist' and ACORN affiliations

- McCain's Letterman TV cancellation

- Wall Street bailout

- Cost of Palin's wardrobe and hairdresser

- Obama's association with Reverend Wright

"With negative campaigning coming to a peak," writes Pedersen, "it can only get naughtier in the Aughties."

•USF professor Gary Mormino, who not only writes about the history of Florida but notes the changes in our world, saw this story from the Chicago Tribune that I suppose is political. The article notes that the term "Obama Baby" has joined the English language amid speculation that last week's crowds of emotionally charged voters probably went home and well ... did you know what.

"The Urban Dictionary Web site now offers the definition: 1. Obama Baby: A child conceived after Barack Obama was proclaimed President by way of celebratory sex."

The story went on to say that "A series of social networking inquiries by the Chicago Tribune Q: Did you? yielded anecdotal support.

•Getting away from politics, Thomas R. Larimer of Bellbrook, Ohio, which is a bedroom community to Dayton, wrote this:

"Steve, A friend in Sun City Center sent me a clipping from the Trib about the buzzards returning to Tampa. It was a great article, Steve. I ended up becoming a fan of Turkey Vultures too.

"A few years ago my wife noticed the birds in a big sycamore tree behind our house. They return to the same tree from their Florida vacation the middle of March every year.

"For the past few weeks more and more of them are coming to 'their tree' to roost at night. I assume this is where they congregate prior to heading back to Tampa via Interstate 75. In '07 the Dayton Daily News ran an item about the buzzards and, like Tampa, Bellbrook passed up the opportunity to publicize their arrival, leaving the glory to Hinckley Ohio."

•Todd Whaley, a familiar family name around here, sent me this e-mail.

"Hey Steve, Whaley's is breathing again. I have taken over the little shop that was opened last year next to the outdoor kitchen store at 3917 W. Kennedy. Many thanks for what you did for my family during our closing. Will see that doesn't happen again."

•Finally, one reader who preferred to stay anonymous, which I think shows little courage in pun world, noticed they are naming a new school out in the county "Strawberry Crest."

"Why not name it after local berry king Roy Parke Jr.?" he writes. "The new school name could be 'Junior High School.'"

OK. Maybe I do understand why he doesn't want to use his name.