The Washington Post reports, somewhat anecdotally, that the wiseacres who usually dress up as a comical political figure for Halloween would rather just go as someone unrelated to politics this year, as the horror of thinking about our broken system is now too too depressing, even on Halloween.

While Christine O'Donnell or Sarah Palin costumes are usually good enough to cover half of the adult nation, no one remembers who either of those people are anymore, and the politicians that people do remember are just too sad. Why not dress as something happy or at least escapist, like a singing lady or an automobile insurance mascot?

"This has been a very dead year as far as political stuff goes," said Sandra Duraes, manager of Backstage, the Capitol Hill emporium. "We really don't have Sarah Palin. Nobody's asking for her." Duraes spoke wistfully of 2008, when the Alaska governor burst onto the political scene just in time for Halloween celebrants to embrace her red suit, updo and spectacles. [...]

In 2011, however, the political gloom lies too heavily across the land, according to Ron Faucheux, a local pollster who surveyed 1,000 Americans and found that they would rather dress as Lady Gaga or the Geico Caveman than Palin or President Obama. "There's so much negativity. There's so much money. There's so much polarization that it's not something that people can step away from as easily and poke fun at," said Faucheux, who was surprised by the results.

This is great news! Now I'll have the "Slutty Buddy Roemer" market all to myself. (DON'T STEAL IT, YOU CADS.) What about the other few remaining masochists out there who are going with political Halloween costumes that aren't Mark Block? Send your dirty pics to me! Also, send your political Halloween costume pics to me: newell@gawker.com.

[Images via CostumeCraze.com]