I’M NOT REALLY big on listening to deejays ramble, but a statement that one made on Mix 100.3 really stuck with me.

In a quick fill-in to commercials, he mentioned the approval ratings for U.S. Sen. Wyane Allard and Tom Strickland were dropping, not because of scandals’ or political views, but because of their advertising, and their negative attacks on each other’s actions.

It started with Strickland firing a ball at Allard for requesting a 6-month delay in the discharge of several anticipated accounting reforms a year and a half ago. Allard retaliated by labeling Strickland a “lawyer-lobbyist,” a guilt-by-association for representing Global Crossing.

And that was just last May. Look at how much the friction has escalated in the past couple months.

If you ask me, the whole race of let’s-see-who-can-come-up-with-more-insults seems all too childish and immature. We’re voting for a higher state representative, someone who can be the better leader, not the bigger bully.

Instead of focusing on positive qualities to make themselves more presentable, Allard and Strickland have engaged in multiple battles to knock each other down. It’s almost as if they don’t feel confident enough in themselves, so they masquerade by attacking the each others standards. It makes me wonder if they need to build themselves up by degrading their opponent. They reflect poorly on themselves and give a brand-new view of whom we should vote for.

In many ways, this Senate race reminds me of high school. Be the bigger man and take responsibility for your own faults. Don’t play the game and blame someone else.