Can we just quite playing politics and elect the best individualto serve us in Washington?

A Hinds County judge’s ruling Friday afternoon sparked a newround of political games surrounding a special election to fill theseat vacated by U.S. Sen. Trent Lott. The ruling has been appealedto the state Supreme Court.

The political games started with Democrats and Republicansarguing over the timing of the election back in December.

Democrats wanted the special election sooner, while Republicanswanted it later. Both cited state law supporting their positions,and a judge ultimately ruled in favor of the upcoming Novemberdate.

As the election date draws near, the political fur is flyingagain with both the Republican Roger Wicker and Democrat RonnieMusgrove campaigns’ trying to outdo each in an effort to find whocan be pull the other candidate further into the politicalmuck.

Friday’s ruling by Hinds County Circuit Court Judge for a PikeCounty election commissioner is just more political posturing overwhere names are placed on the ballot.

Democrats want the names at the top of the ballot andRepublicans want the names at the bottom. Republicans Gov. HaleyBarbour and Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann have historicalprecedence behind their position, while Democrats are saying suchprecedence notwithstanding: the Republicans are trying todisenfranchise voters.

Judge Green’s ruling Friday sidesteps a Supreme Court ruling ofthe day prior and has ordered the names be moved to the top of theballot. As expected, Judge Green’s ruling has been appealed and thepolitics will continue.

Meanwhile Friday afternoon, Mississippians were draining servicestations of gasoline in fear of price hikes due to Hurricane Ike’spounding of the Texas coastline near Houston. The panic-buyingcreated shortages which, of course, resulted in the dreaded priceincreases.

This is on top of fears from last week’s Hurricane Gustav thatrubbed already raw nerves from concerns on a struggling economythat is affecting jobs, housing and draining already strainedhousehold budgets.

One can just look in the eyes of their friends and neighbors andsee the frustration and fear. Which brings us back to the politicalposturing over the placement of Wicker and Musgrove’s names on theballot.

Does it make a difference if the names are at the top of theballot or the bottom? Who knows! What we do know is that voterswill search out the name of the candidate whom they believe willhelp bring relief to their frayed nerves, regardless if they have aD or an R behind their name.

Voters are tired of the political games, they are tired of thefinger-pointing and they are tired of the name-calling. Tell us howyou are going to solve our problems and we will find your name onthe ballot regardless of where it is placed.