About a month ago, our staff began mapping out our plan for election coverage. At the time, it was pretty exciting for me. I have covered a few elections already, but this upcoming election will be the biggest I have had to follow.

A month later, after sifting through piles of political jargon trying to turn thousands of words of campaign rhetoric into a coherent point expressing to readers exactly what each person stands for, I am admittedly anticipating the end of this election season. The politicians have won, turning my brain into a confused pile of mush as Nov. 7 approaches. I will do my best to form a few more coherent sentences on some of critical issues.

Keep in mind that candidates, particularly at the local and state levels, work tirelessly campaigning. You may not like what each candidate says or stands for, but most have spent the past months knocking on doors, making appearances at community events, kissing babies and generally, putting a lot of hours into trying to convince voters they are the best people for their desired jobs. The least we can do is payback these efforts by taking 30 minutes to go vote.

There is really a political party to fit every need. If you have a lot of money and would like to keep it, the Republicans are probably the answer for you. If you also have a lot of money, but like to pretend to care about the less fortunate, you probably tend to lean Democrat. If you like guns and hate government, you should visit a Libertarian website. If you dream of one day driving a wind-powered car made completely of recycled materials, it may be time for you to go Green.

In reality, minor party candidates probably have little chance of being competitive at the polls because media tend to ignore them. This does, however, allow them to speak more freely and say more interesting things than any Democrat or Republican has said in a long time. It is too bad less than five percent of voters will cast a ballot for a minor party.

The onus is typically on the challenger in any race to prove that the incumbent is not worthy of re-election. The Grand Blanc area definitely has some challengers taking this concept to heart. Meanwhile, the incumbents seem to be employing their own strategy, barely mentioning that they are being challenged at all.

It is hard to ignore some of these very vocal challengers, though. Republican Brian Seiferlein is painting Sen. Deb Cherry (D-Burton) as the typical career politician, while he is the humble businessman aiming to cut government bureaucracy. And hey, you have to admire anyone that puts his picture on yard signs. Cherry is hoping voters simply review her record and experience and send her back to Lansing.

In the State Rep race, Democrat Fred Starzyk and his very vocal band of supporters are telling anyone who will listen that Rep. Dave Robertson (R-Grand Blanc Twp.) is out of touch with voters because of his conservative views. Robertson probably would not object to someone saying he has conservative views, but judging by the makeup of the 51st District my guess is that a significant number of voters share those views. This should be one of the more interesting races on Nov. 7, simply because the 51st District has a very unique makeup – ties to organized labor that tend to lean Democrat and a growing professional sect that tends to vote Republican.

Goodrich Village Council candidates are also in a heated battle. Goodrich, despite its small size, has been a political battleground over the last few years. Incumbents Ed York and Rick Horton have not been controversial since their election, but challengers Greg Tankersley, Diane Fredericks and Patricia Wartella are telling voters Village leadership is in need of a massive overhaul.

Ultimately, it is impossible to say who is best suited for each particular elected office. Voters have a pretty daunting task of deciding which candidates are impractical idealists and which have legitimate chances to make a difference.

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