THE ISSUE
Many public figures will attend Wheaton’s July 4 parade to begin positioning themselves for the 2010 elections.
OUR VIEW
Voters cannot be tuned out between elections and expect our state’s problems to fix themselves.
SPEAK UP
Does seeing politicians in parades affect your vote? Leave a comment below to tell us what you think. You can also e-mail your comments here or leave a message at (630) 368-8882.

Want a glimpse of who may be running next year for elective office?

Grab a seat at the Wheaton Fourth of July Parade. Organized each year by the Wheaton Jaycees, this is the largest Fourth of July parade in the area and always draws a crowd of public officials as well as political candidates, particularly Republicans.

Early parade registrants include DuPage County State’s Attorney Joe Birkett of Wheaton; U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam, R-6th District, of Wheaton; and DuPage County Sheriff John Zaruba. Birkett is considering a run for Illinois governor, and Roskam may have an eye on the U.S. Senate.

The city’s parade is significant to office-seekers for a couple of reasons. Wheaton serves as the county seat, and it’s the heart of the GOP in DuPage County, which is a driving force in the Illinois Republican Party. GOP hopefuls would be foolish to ignore the conservative base in Wheaton.

Just as potential candidates are preparing themselves to run for a variety of offices, voters should ready themselves to cast ballots for these people. Given the sorry state of our state, the 2010 elections will be as crucial as any in recent history.

There are far too many serious problems confronting Illinoisans for us to take this election cycle for granted. The General Assembly may have been able to remove former Gov. Rod Blagojevich from office through a majority vote, but the damage done by years of corruption on the part of Democrats and Republicans will take real leadership. And, frankly, this is quality that has been in short supply among our elected officials.

At this year’s Fourth of July Parade in Wheaton, are we likely to see the leaders who will put Illinois back on the right track? We can hope.

But the best defense against a continuation of the political incompetence that has plagued this state on virtually every level is a well-informed electorate. Know who these candidates are, what they stand for and how they’ll govern.

And no matter what, don’t accept mediocrity or second-best. Force these parties to rise to our level of expectations. Demand that they nominate true leaders and not just opportunists.