On a sunny, crisp fall day in the Gainesville square, with a singer strumming out tunes on his acoustic guitar, the setting seemed too serene for gritty, political talk, especially in the wake of partisan finger-pointing and rhetoric from the nation’s capital. But a few downtown visitors didn’t mind opening up, sharing their thoughts with The Times about the goings-on of U.S. elected officials and the gridlock that seems to envelope every major issue. And, reflecting the low approval ratings in recent polls, they’re not particularly happy with the performance of the government and — maybe worse yet — don’t think things will improve soon.