A fair fight: No matter for whom you root, questions should be relevant

One of the reasons so few Americans want to put their hat in the ring to run for public office is that there is -- honestly -- a pack mentality when it comes to announcements of this sort.

The moment your name goes into the pool -- especially if you are not considered a mainstream candidate -- you are the subject of personal attacks and full-time investigations into every aspect of your life since you came out of the womb.

So, it is no surprise that the first person to officially announce his candidacy for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, Ted Cruz, is already a target.

And whether he deserves it or not is not the point.

If Americans ever needed to be able to really have questions answered about the potential candidates who want to lead this nation, 2016 is the year.

Questions should be asked about policies, records, positions and anything else that would help a voter decide if a certain candidate is the right choice.

But the problem is, the stage has been set. And the personal attacks -- orchestrated or not -- are already the standard by which vetting of candidates is done. And often, it is not done fairly or evenly.

We deserve more -- and we should demand more.

We should want to hear a candidate articulate a position on the economy, the war in Afghanistan and the course of the nation's foreign policy.

And we cannot get that if we are wading through inconsequential baloney.

But that is what we will get if we don't demand more -- right now.

Published in Editorials on March 25, 2015 10:55 AM