Unlike many who have become numb to the political process and the appearingly never-ending personal shortcomings of a growing minority of our elected officials, I see it from a unique perspective.

As a result of my three-term tenure as a senior staff member for a venerated member of Congress, I know firsthand that contrary to stereotypes and current public opinion, most elected officials on both sides of the aisle are good, honest people who are focused on the issues of concern to their constituency and not interested in providing material for late-night comedians and political adversaries.

I believe it is highly unlikely, however, I truly hope that elected officials will take the high road in this coming election season, campaigning on platforms of their individual achievements without letting loose the bloodhounds to dig up irrelevant personal issues that should be handled within the family or insignificant matters that occurred in their youth. We would like to believe that our elected officials are superhuman. No one among us is perfect.

If the race for governor is any indication of how this coming campaign season will play out, I am going to put my Buffalo News subscription on hold, keep the television off, and buy a few good books to get me through November. I am more interested in what Mr. Duffy accomplished during his tenure as mayor of Rochester and how he will serve us as lieutenant governor, not his political opponents’ spin on his legal retirement benefits. I hope that the Lazio campaign and others will spend their resources in elevating their candidates on their qualifications for the job, not on dirt their emissaries come up with to knock their opponent down for a little political traction. The voters deserve better.

Nick Crocco, Former Director of Constituent Services, US Representative Steve Israel

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