I have been eating sour grapes*

Now that I have been out of the race for more than 2 months, I think I can comment on Connecticut's 5th Congressional District with the perspective of distance.

Boy am I disappointed.  Just today I received campaign mail from the Roberti and Esty campaigns.

Roberti tells me:  "Chris Donovan and Elizabeth Esty's CROOKED HARTFORD POLITICS aren't what we need in Wahshington."

Esty uses a shattered graphic to let me know:  "Washington IS BROKEN.  Chris Donovan Part of the Problem, More of the Same."

Sure, my hope that one of the Democratic candidates would adopt some version of my non-compete clause to shut the revolving door was wishful thinking.  But it seemed possible that Chris Donovan's finance problems would provide the opportunity for Elizabeth Esty and/or Dan Roberti to make the plague of money in politics their own issue.

If anything, the opposite has happened.  I have been following the campaign through The Register Citizen's excellent blog.  The campaign leading from the convention to the primary has incorporated all the problems folks told me they wanted changed.

1. Much of the campaigning is negative;
2. Out-of-state money is playing a large and unsavory role;
3. Even issues that should unite Democrats are being misrepresented for political advantage.  

I understand the cliche that "politics ain't beanbag."  But at some point we Democrats must commit to seeking politic success for the purpose of better governance.  I hear too many co-workers and friends who have become apathetic because "politicians are only in it for themselves."  Nothing that has happened in CT 5 recently is going to change how such people feel.  

When Democratic politics becomes mostly about gaining power for its own sake, then we might as well be Republicans.  

*I know in the fable the grapes are sour because they can't be eaten.  However, in all honesty, I am bothered by having made so little impact.