I understand what you are getting at and have long said there is too much expectation for politicians to solve issues.

Personally, I don't want or expect them to give a crap about me or my family. I want them to do 3 things and do them well. Uphold the original intent of the Constitution, stop stealing any more money than it takes to uphold that constitution and leave me & my family the hell alone. I say this to all levels of government including the locals.

Unfortunately, politics is that distasteful mechanism that influences the makeup of our governments at all levels. Some decide to opt out rather than participate, but that means giving up any possible control over what governs much of your life. Staying involved in politics is sort of like changing baby diapers: it's smelly, it's dirty, but it's necessary to maintain a hygenic environment for the baby and others around it.

The only debate I watched was the one moderated by the Fox business team, and it was the one that adhered to a formula that was focused on issues rather than sensationalism. Other than that, I research the life story of the candidates to get a glimpse of their character. When they've been savaged, I take the time to see who's criticizing them. Sometimes, when you've managed to upset everyone, you might be doing the right thing.

It's finally dawning on Bernie Sanders that the DNC was prepped to anoint Clinton from the start, and that his upstart success isn't welcome. That contest is finally getting interesting, mainly because it's beginning to look like the Democrat establishment is preparing to call in Biden if Hillary sinks. I think that's a suicidal move and a misjudgement of the Sanders support.

The Trump show continues, and we'll see if he maintains his support. Personally, I think if he wins Iowa and New Hampshire he'll sweep the table.

Bloomberg is only mildly entertaining. He's wasting his money if he thinks he can buy the Presidency, which would show he didn't get the message when all of his gun control money was wasted in various state elections.

We live in interesting times.

"this attraction to the political machine like it's a shiny, solution-producing entitiy"
It's closer to a morbid attraction to a ghastly accident.

"does anybody else see it?"
I see everything you're saying and completely agree. (Except don't give up on your son's homework assignment!! Find a way to make it teachable. Even if he doesn't get it, my parents told me things I didn't get until 20 years later; maybe the same with him.)

"The debates get us all worked up."
I have seen enough of attention-seeking, credit-taking, and blame throwing (let's call it "politicking") in other areas of life that I no longer fall for politicians' antics. I did as late as ten years ago.

Because there is only position of POTUS and its elected, it leads to this politicking behavior. You don't see it as much in business because you can always start another business. You can serve niche customers down "the long tail" of popularity. So you can be awesome to your niche market and weird, offensive, or meh to everyone else. Online videos are like this. You can always make another one. When there were only three channels, they had to produce content that was at least tolerable to the majority. There's only one "channel" of president, so we have to find someone who's at least kind-of sort-of okay to the majority. What that looks like isn't pretty.

This does not explain, though, why their solutions usually involve increasing gov't rather decreasing it. I still have hope people will realizing voting themselves money from the treasury will destroy us.

I almost agree with you Abaco except that I still think there is a minuscule chance that a voter revolt that elected a third party could force the situation. Some sort of dictatorial action might be taken to retain power by the statists and the game could be exposed to everyone, or perhaps the system that has been perverted for the past 50 years could start to work again. Of course this requires a voter revolt by most of those who have voted for the GOP and a few who have voted for the Dems. Not likely, but in my view, the only peaceful chance for a return to individual liberty and free markets. A tiny chance.
The only other peaceful thing that the people can do is to strike in various ways. Also not very likely by people spoiled by convenience and brainwashed by propaganda.
The other alternatives: slavery or civil war.
No good alternatives that I see. Similar to the choices that a group of men had in Philadelphia in 1776.

I am afraid I have to agree with you. We are too far down the rabbit hole.

I think the attraction so far has been with the outsiders who are shaking up the political establishment. I think Jeb Bush & company would rather see Hillary win over Trump, Carson or Fiorina. I'm thinking that many people feel that at last we have another option. It may not do any good but at least it's different and up and til now---entertaining.

The "problems" that politicians purport to address are all strawmen made up for the purpose. But their are real problems that politicians can fix -- and most if not all of them are problems with the politicians' own behavior, which they can solve merely by starting to respect other people's rights. Few of them will, though.

I ignore politics except as an occasional and unhealthy amusement. The reason is simple. It’s irrelevant. The most fundamental freedom is the freedom to leave. If I understand him correctly, CircuitGuy said the same thing in his comment, “You don’t see it (the absence of choice in politics) as much in business because you can always start another business.” Competition is the economic analog of frontier formation. We need to reacquire the most fundamental freedom. Focus on frontier formation. Nothing else matters. At SpaceFarers Corporation, we take great comfort in knowing what is wrong, in knowing what to do about it, and in doing it. Please badmouth my premise to help me strengthen it. Here it is: If you understand Rand, you will understand that objectivists should do what the Founders did. Found something.

I see a real divide between people wanting a presidential representative that has a strong principled character routed in the constitution and the rule of law and the usual please just fix it crowd that defines a democracy...(Mob or minority rule)

If everyone we hired to do only what the constitution allows government to do then we would have no issues.
It was meant that anything beyond that would be discussed locally...which means your town or city...not necessarily the state.
We are so far from that, I fear it may be impossible to get back to that founding idea.

Our government is so inbred, so corrupt, that it will never fix itself. So is anyone here supportive of the Convention of States project? http://www.conventionofstates.com/
I seldom see/hear discussion of it, and much that is said is terribly uninformed and emotional.

This is something I find myself wondering, and then deciding, as Neil Smith says, "If voting could make a difference, it would be illegal." Look at the shiny mobiles and toys, and don't ask where they come from or if they're designed to shock you if you do something "wrong".
Politics is one of the circuses Americans have voted themselves: the games are more rigged, the prizes are worth less, and somebody always gets hurt on the roller coaster. There should be a warning sign, except someone might read it.
"Play at your own risk; everybody is playing at your risk, too."

I do not have conversations on this subject in public places that go any farther than that.

I'm waiting for a politician to tell the truth and say that there are no political solutions. The only problem is that we won't vote for him/her; there is no payout. We want the politician to say that there's a free lunch, that rocks aren't hard and water isn't wet. The politician who tells the truth will not be long in politics.

"Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." -- Willie S.
You have got to admit that it's pretty good theater. A little draggy at times (double entendre) but quite absorbing. I think that the discussions in the Gulch are more of the same nature as fans discussing baseball. They can get quite passionate about it, but in the long run they know (I hope) that it's pretty much inconsequential.
Here's the Big However. It is possible that we get a politician that actually rises to the challenge and sets the wheels in motion to make truly relevant changes. I wouldn't bet the farm on it, but hope springs eternal.