[SuziQ]

but she is one of the few people I know who knows anything about who the best local judges are come election time.

She DOES pay attention, she just pays attention to different things! Not being from this area, I have to rely on the 'locals' to give me info on who they consider suitable for the town and county positions, but I'm probably more informed than many locals on national stuff. I guess it all depends on where your own interests lie.

[HairOfTheDog]

It does depend on your interests. As a Parole Officer, she has to testify in court alot, and so she knows which judges and which prosecutors are any good, at least from her perspective, which is usually based on whether they do what she recommends in her reports, of course. ;~D