"The Ugly Face of Politics"
... and a county board member for four years, with no experience in handling financial decisions. She received no endorsements from any printed publication or union, whereas my father received many, including endorsements from The Chicago Tribune. While this was a shocking defeat to myself and many others, my father was not alone. Several other candidates lost solely because of their political affiliation. One woman, a candidate for County Clerk, was defeated because the mayor of my town is her opposition’s father. Several judges also lost the bench, although they were very qualified incumbents to the office. This election’s results concern me mostly because of the picture they portray of the local political scene. Formerly, I believed that politics were based on merit and ability. I have always thought that the best candidate wins because they are more qualified for the office. Yet, I now see the ugly face of politics. One candidate can win simply because of their political affiliation or gender. People are becoming less concerned with who is really qualified, and do not bother to keep themselves informed. Instead, they vote for a familiar name, or who their parents have voted for, or what party they believe they belong to. In this sense, I side with George Washington, who believed that political parties would split the nation and le...