Is it necessary to settle for the lesser of two evils?

This was supposed to be my first election as an American voter. Days after my 18th birthday, I registered with the county elections officer, looking forward to casting my vote in the 2001 New Jersey gubernatorial election. I could not have known then that my absentee ballot would be caught in the post-Sept. 11 maelstrom, locked in an anthrax-laden post office on Election Day. My first first-hand experience with democracy, it seems, will have to wait. Excited as I was to vote, I must admit this election was hardly the rousing political contest I desired for my initial trip to the ballot box. From the beginning, it was clear that neither candidate is dynamic or inspired, their platforms far from original. But Jim McGreevey and Bret Schundler have managed to make what should have been a fairly average election into a complete and total disappointment. They have been hostile and petty and have insulted the intelligence of New Jersey voters. They have left those heading to the polls today, and others — like me — who await the arrival of lost absentee ballots, to wonder about the future of any political system that offers up candidates like these.

The fifth gubernatorial debate, which occurred last week, epitomized the candidates' descent into the political gutter. There were, of course, the usual debate dramatics including unsigned pledges not to raise taxes and accusations of dishonesty, but Schundler and McGreevey took their campaign immaturity to new heights. The candidates spent most of the debate sniping at each other, ignoring the voters watching in person and on television. Even after Schundler violated the cardinal rule of politics, bringing up McGreevey's children twice, the debate careened further away from the issues. In one exchange, alleg-edly about crime, Schundler taunted his opponent. "You're the mayor of Mayberry, and you couldn't keep it safe," he declared, insulting residents of Woodbridge and shedding no light on McGreevey's record. Later McGreevey was allowed to pose a question to his opponent, asking jokingly and inexplicably what his favorite cereal was. Schundler, not one to pass up an opportunity for nastiness, replied, "Grape Nuts, they remind me of you." While the Republican's humor may have impressed some, I can't help but wonder how the personal animosity between these two candidates for governor furthers the discussion about their very different positions on taxes, abortion and education. Perhaps the candidates thought that voters would be more entertained by what The New York Times called, "more . . . a World Wrestling Federation 'Smackdown' event," than an actual debate.

In fairness to Schundler, who by all accounts outdid his Democratic op-ponent in debate hijinks, the Democrats have not been paragons of virtue in this election. The state Democratic Party has aired ads telling voters what has happened under previous Republican governors and warning them what could happen if we elected Schundler. The ads blame Republicans for all manner of problems, including New Jersey's having more toxic waste than any other state. While I consider myself a liberal Democrat and would have cast my ballot for McGreevey had it ever arrived, I find it hard to believe that Republicans are pro-toxic waste or encouraged the accumulation of waste in our state. These ads — and others like them aired by both parties around the country — make statements that don't further discussion or add to voters' knowledge. They simply insult our intelligence by giving us falsities instead of facts and by believing we won't know the difference between the two.

This election has been a disappointment for New Jersey citizens, but it is indicative of a national trend. In an age when fewer and fewer people care enough about the political process to take the time to vote, our politicians are not taking the high road but are descending further into the personal attacks and nastiness that got us to this age of apathy. We as voters must demand better, criticizing those candidates who choose insults over issues and rewarding those who address the topics we care about with votes on Election Day.

More importantly, we must seek out better candidates and, when appropriate, throw our own hats in the ring. This is, after all, a government of the people, and the only way our political process can change for the better is if we get involved. That means not just sitting back and criticizing but rolling up our sleeves and reforming the political system from within. In the not-too-distant future another election will roll around, one in which my absentee ballot actually arrives by Election Day. I can only hope that by then we have cleaned up our electoral process so that my first vote is cast not with disappointment and disapproval but with hope for what our democratic process can bring. Katherine Reilly is from Short Hills, NJ. She can be reached at kcreilly@princeton.edu.