Am I a disloyal power hungry coward?

[PoliticalAnimal]

Have changed my name as I cannot take the chance of being recognised.

I have had to elect with others our candidates to stand for council. I elected one with no issues but was torn between two. One of the candidates who was already in post has been in the local press a lot lately due to allegations to do with looking at innapropriate images on a computer. The investigation is ongoing but he has protested his innocence. Politically I had more in common with this candidate but chose someone else who I do admire and respect greatly mainly because I was worried about mud sticking. The opposing candidate from our main opposing party has taken the moral high ground and is standing on a back to basics campaign which will go down well in this area.

Perhaps not surprisingly the candiate who is fighting the allegations was deselected - although it was closely run - and he looked crushed as he has lost so much recently due to these allegations. I have been wracked with guilt as I know my vote would have swung it - but do I just need to toughen up and put the party first?

Was I wrong to choose the person I thought was more likely to get elected and less likely to cause controversy.

Do you think you were being pragmatic rather than prejudiced or pre-judging someone?

I tried really hard to prejudge, but it was just preying on my mind that I know what people think of him. I agreed with some of the things he said so much although perhaps not his tone if that makes sense but I think he understandably found the situation very difficult.

I was not judging him for what he had done but I ahve to admit that I arrived at the meeting thinking that it was unlikely he would get my vote as I am aware what local people think of him and he was so unlikely to get voted in - so yes pragmatic.

But so much of what he said struck a cord with me and his passions were similar to mine - although I did not agree with his tone if that makes sense - although I think hpart of that was due to him feeling frustrated by the situation.

He just looked so crushed at the end - felt as if I had kicked a man when he was down. I think I am too soft for politics.

Politics, even at a local level is all about the bigger picture, you did what you felt was right at the time. I would not feel bad about it if I were you.

Would you be able to offer him some reassurance, somehow, without compromising your anonymity and all that?

We did tell him that it was close run and that it was a difficult position, he seemed so on edge I think he was expecting it - in fact I was surprised by how close run it was all things considered- a testiment to the regard we have for him.

But as Carmenere says it is about the bigger picture - I must toughen up.

Yes, but it sounds like a horrible experience all the same.