Daily Herald opinion: Election fatigue? It’s real, but tuning out is not the answer
By now, you’re probably sick of the back-to-back election ads on TV and the campaign mailers piling up in your mailbox.
With just four days to go before Tuesday’s primary election, it’s hard to escape the onslaught — especially in competitive races that have drawn a high number of candidates or where the primary winner is all but guaranteed victory in November.
A number of campaigns have grown ugly in recent weeks. Records get distorted, and some candidates bend over backwards demonizing their opponents’ campaign contributors and resurrecting misdeeds — real or perceived — from their rivals’ pasts.
It’s a cynical business. And in that atmosphere, it is sometimes hard to choose the candidates who would go on to reflect your values and serve with honor. But doing so is our responsibility, now more than ever.
War rages in the Middle East. Gas prices are rising. Immigration raids have split the nation.
Where do you stand on those issues? And do the candidates for U.S. House and Senate share those views?
Closer to home, Gov. JB Pritzker has sparred with President Donald Trump over a wide range of issues, including immigration enforcement in the Chicago area and moves to withhold federal funding to Illinois. Do you align more with Pritzker or Trump? If it’s the latter, have you dug into the differences of the four candidates seeking the Republican nomination for governor to face Pritzker in the fall?
There are other races closer to home, including countywide positions and county boards. Which candidates offer the most experience or best reflect your vision for these offices?
Doing your homework takes a bit of time. Some forums and debates are available online to give you a sense of what the candidates believe and how they handle themselves.
The Daily Herald sent candidate questionnaires to each local candidate in challenged primaries, and those that were returned are available at dailyherald.com. Most candidates have websites sharing a bit about their background and offering some of their stands. That can help, though if their answers are overly vague, well, that tells you something too.
If you want to know which candidates were endorsed by the Daily Herald or other organizations, check them out. But take the time to look at a full endorsement, which spells out why we or others made our choices. Often, our endorsements call out the strengths or ideas of challengers we do not endorse which might give you more insight even if you disagree with our final picks.
Look beyond campaign ads. Too many rely on distortions or efforts to tie an opponent to an unpopular position or politician.
Most importantly, if you did not opt for early voting, head to the polls Tuesday and make your choices known.
Our democracy depends on it.