Debate season is upon us.

You can always flip the channel or turn to another page in the newspaper, and I do that myself sometimes. It can get tiresome.

However, political campaigns are important.

The Daily Mail editorial board is in the midst of weeks of meetings with local candidates.

Setting these up is a chore in itself. Editorial Page Editor Johanna Maurice sets the schedule. Office Manager Tina Taylor sends out letters of invitation and tracks the responses.

These are time-consuming tasks before the meetings even begin, and then several more of us get involved.

This fall, with a major election coming up, the meetings will span five weeks.

Each day we make the trek to our conference room in the parking building next to the newspaper building. By "we," I mean four key editors, a reporter and a photographer.

We try to hold the sessions to 60 minutes, but that still adds up to a lot of precious man-hours. The same is true for candidates.

It's well worth the effort.

Most of the candidates show up, and we thank them most sincerely for their time. Some travel long distances, and most have to arrange to miss work.

They often are nervous as they sit on one side of a table facing us. We try not to look fierce.

But there's reason to be anxious. We're about to hurl a bunch of questions at them, and their answers will help determine whether or not we endorse them.

While that's an important reason for the meetings, it's not the only one.

As I often tell the candidates, editors don't get out much. We consume a lot of news, but we are generally confined to the newsroom.

This is a chance for us to attach names to faces. Knowing the actual people enhances our ability to shape our coverage going forward.

We learn from the candidates. They tell us what they're hearing from voters as they campaign, and they bring up subjects that may be new to us.

Did you know that part of a county assessor's pay is based on how much dog tax they collect? And that they receive another small commission for taxing sheep to fund predator control.

While these meetings have lighter moments, the real value is in the rousing discussions of bigger issues. The conversations can help shape opinions on both sides of the table.

The same value lies in political campaigns overall.

Even lopsided races serve a purpose. The most entrenched incumbents should be challenged and held accountable to the people who empower them to govern.

Attorney General Darrell McGraw lost his cool last weekend when a "tracker" from his opponent's camp pointed a video recorder at him during a public appearance. A few days earlier he showed signs of irritation with his opponent during their meeting with our editorial board.

It's no fun to be tracked, criticized and challenged.

However, as these matches play out in the public arena, voters can observe and make their choices.

Perhaps the incumbent is tossed out, or perhaps he's just bruised by a close race that affects how he conducts himself for the next few years.

Newspapers make endorsements as a service to readers. We realize few people have the time to closely monitor all the campaigns.

Our endorsements are not intended to tell readers how to vote. We simply make a good-faith effort to screen and evaluate.

While each member of the editorial board has his or her own views, we strive to make collective decisions based on the Daily Mail's conservative philosophy.

That is not the only factor. We also judge candidates on intelligence, values and knowledge of issues.

As the meetings progress, I find myself admiring the folks who subject themselves to public scrutiny.

This week, for example, we've met an independent trucker who drives the only rig he owns. His frustration with government impediments to small business caused him to throw his hat in the ring.

A substitute teacher works a second job for a janitorial service at night to make ends meet. He is frustrated by the bureaucracy that hampers teachers.

Day in and day out, we meet good people who believe in our democratic system of government. But they see problems like high unemployment, low educational achievement and crumbling highways and bridges.

Rather than sit back and criticize, they pitch in with ideas.

I feel privileged to spend time with them. And when it comes time to cast my own ballot, I again will be grateful for a job that lets me make informed choices.

Friend is editor and publisher of the Daily Mail. She may be reached at 348-4802 or nan...@dailymail.com.