Author: By ERIC SONDERMANN
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Colorado Lottery’s mega-bad idea
There are plenty of lousy, miserable, misguided whims out there. Then, every so often, you come across a notion so wrong-headed that it qualifies as phenomenally bad. Or in words the marketing whizzes at the Colorado Lottery might understand, let’s call this a mega-bad idea. The proposal in question, recently adopted by the Lottery Commission,…
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The internal pessimist and optimist have it out | SONDERMANN
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It’s the perpetual debate: Is the glass half-empty or half-full? Within my own overly active and disquieted mind, that dialogue is robust and never-ending. Over the long expanse of years, I have tended to be an optimist. I wake up most mornings in anticipation of a good day. My inherent inclination is to think that…
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Two parties with a death wish; a country that may not stand for it | SONDERMANN
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On this 247th anniversary of our nation’s independence, America is a starkly divided place marked by a deep-seeded, underlying depression. Vast numbers of our countrymen increasingly live in self-ratifying, self-righteous echo chambers on opposite political poles. Overlap and common ground are lacking. Ditto for mutual respect and good faith. Economist Herbert Stein remarked, “If something…
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A memo to Denver’s mayor to-be | SONDERMANN
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To Mike: I hope a first-name basis is OK, and that we can put off the honorifics until you take office. First off, congratulations on a decisive victory. You have been at this a while. When you first ran for governor in 2018 with a bit more hair, I somehow doubt that you envisioned getting…
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The meaning of Yemi in Colorado Springs | SONDERMANN
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Perhaps it’s a matter of Hertz versus Avis with the number-two entity always finding it necessary to “try harder.” In this case, the mayoral election in the state’s second largest city, Colorado Springs, was far more interesting and likely consequential than Denver’s Tweedledee and Tweedledum race at last now at its finish line. Blessing Yemi…
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‘Root causes’ are real — but no excuse | SONDERMANN
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What the absolute (fill in your favorite four-letter curse word)? Eric Sondermann We are away, but the headlines travel and tell a gruesome, sickening story. A troubled teen is patted down as part of an accommodation allowing him to attend a public high school. Only on this day, a gun is found on him and…
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Knowing little, yet knowing everything | SONDERMANN
Eric Sondermann With caffeine at the ready as I fire up the keyboard very early Wednesday morning, we know precious little about ultimate control of the United States Senate and House. The balance of power remains still up in the air. Yet, at the same time, we know everything. Whichever party turns out to be…
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SONDERMANN | The musky stench of Twitter
Eric Sondermann Twitter is now the latest possession and toy belonging to Elon Musk, the wealthiest of trolls. It is hard to imagine the platform becoming any more toxic and soul-crushing, both individually and societally. But anything is possible and the story of Twitter is that of the decline of manners and the descent of…
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SONDERMANN | Sizing up the election in the homestretch
As the candidates round the final turn and enter the homestretch, let’s size up where things stand and the prospects ahead. This election year began with every expectation of a Republican rout. Rampant inflation and an unpopular president combined with the historical trend of off-year elections spelled a tidal wave that would drown Democratic dreams.…
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SONDERMANN | In defense of the political center
Question: What is the only thing you find these days in the middle of the road? Answer: A dead armadillo. That bit of humor points to what is increasingly and problematically our political condition. The political center is vanishing as the country further pulls to its embattled poles. Clearly, one’s perception of just where that…