I spent the Super Bowl at a party. My wife and I were the only Patriots fans there. When the Giants won I felt a real sense of loss. I had no vested interest in the game. No bets, no ownership of the team, not even a the $88,000 stake the winning players received.

For the last two days, it's been a palpable sense of grief and loss. Not as bad as losing a loved one or a job, but damn close. Throughout the day, I felt sad. Bereft. Lee Iacocca described bereft as feeling "lower than whale shit."

Yes, that's how I felt. It was only a game. I didn't expect that the Patriots would win honestly, the Giants were the worst matchup of all the playoff teams the Patriots could have faced.

Walking to the Grand Central Terminal for the commute home I tried to understand why I felt so low. I was disappointed. The lack of elation of winning seemed overwhelming. Then it hit me. Then I realized that this feeling foreshadowed what I really thought would be how I might feel this November. If Obama loses and the Republicans gain control of both houses of Congress. 

 I knew that I would feel much worse if that happens. After all the Super Bowl is just a game.