As news cycles ebb and flow, pieces judging candidates seem to dominate. Apart from deliberately stilted coverage, this is the way it should be. Though the fine art of principled journalism has yielded to expressing individual views disguised as "news," the valued role of the media is to inform. Just the facts, nothing but the facts.
Perhaps no where is this more important than when judging elected officials and those seeking elected office. All that can be asked is that elected officials and those seeking elected office be judged by the same standards.
Determining the standards by which they are judged is fairly easy. For example, truthfulness, honesty, obeying the law, integrity, performance, ethics, consistency, knowledge, fidelity, accomplishment, respect, veracity, humility, decency, patriotism, honor, judgment, principle, and embodying American values.
Applying the standards is also fairly easy. Review the records of accomplishment or lack thereof. Review what has been said, publicly and privately. Look at the family life. Compare and contrast stated objectives with accomplishments. Evaluate friendships and associations (birds of a feather flock together). Critically review political speeches for the truth. And many more.
And judge each by these same standards. Do not hold one candidate or elected official to one set of standards and the opponents to another.
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