I recently had dinner sitting at the bar at an Auburn, Alabama restaurant when U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville, the former Auburn football coach, and his wife sat down next to me.  The response of the patrons was interesting and informative.  Prior to the senator’s appearance the mood there was festive, the bartenders and wait staff were super pleasant and efficient (they are tip maximizers, after all), and patrons were full of praise of the great food being served.  Alcohol consumption no doubt added to the festive Friday evening atmosphere.

Then enters the politician.  He was immediately approached by fanboys who wanted to shake his hand, and not just because he was once the Auburn football coach. I overheard two of them talking politics.  But then the woman seated on the other side of me began muttering snide and not very flattering remarks about the senator and one man actually got up in a huff and walked out, mumbling something about “that ____ politician” loudly enough for the senator to have heard him.  The Tubervilles seemed to be very pleasant people but the mere fact that he is a politician created an immediate atmosphere of conflict in the relatively small bar area that had a negative effect on the previously festive and pleasant atmosphere there.

Politics and politicians create nothing but conflict and chaos everywhere they go and with everything they do, from visiting a small hometown bar to voting to fund the carpet bombing of civilians in some faraway country where they have never been.

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