Qualifications for Office

The race for [Nevada] state treasurer is one of those down-ballot contests that traditionally receive little attention from the press, let alone voters...But this year, voters have two major reasons to reflect on the low-profile but consequential constitutional office that's responsible for overseeing the state's money: the candidates themselves...Mark DeStefano...is a Las Vegas business consultant who has declared bankruptcy, sued the U.S. government for discrimination, was kicked off the ballot on a residency issue in a run for university system regent and booted from a Nevada charity after he hired away a key employee...Kate Marshall, the Democrat, is a Reno lawyer who has spent much of her career working in the antitrust division of the Justice Department, but has virtually no experience in finance or investment....'Uninteresting' Job Draws Interesting Candidates, Michael Mishak, Las Vegas Sun, 10/25/2006

Ah, come on! In New York, a combination like this, a bankrupt and an antitrust lawyer, would probably yield an unbeatable fusion ticket for governor and lieutenant governor. But seriously, qualifications are a sticky issue in democracies. Becoming an elected official isn't like becoming a doctor or a history professor. If it were, we'd have nothing but malpractice suits and Marxist rhetoric. And, as noted in the story below, qualifications in the United States too often mean access to money, friendly relationships with the national committee of either party, and a willingness to tow the line with those interests deemed valuable by the party chair, whether at the county, state or national level. Maybe Nevada is onto something new.

:-)

Luther