Regardless of the merits of a politics forum (there are merits as well as drawbacks) instituting one would increase the moderator's workload significantly.
I belong to a forest industry forum that recently closed its politics forum because of the trouble it caused. In the case of the group here, I'd expect a better level of civility (i.e., fewer posts castigating Nobama/Nancy Pelousy or equating GWB to a trained monkey). Still, tempers can flare and it ain't none too easy to unring a bell.
Funny that the Girl Scout cookies thread was mentioned. I remember someone posted inside of that thread that it was off-topic. Didn't quite understand how it was irrelevant to life in the LR. I'm pretty new to the forum but have spent my whole life in rural NH. And have been eating cookies in my NH home for a lot longer than I've had access to the interwebs. Guess I need a schooling on what constitutes NH life.
I feel no urge to read a sports forum. If any folks on here are Jets fans, I'd prefer that to remain unsaid.