My father, Buck Elston, loved politics. He especially loved talking politics at dinner after work. As an only child, I was encouraged to ask questions and express my opinions at the dinner table. I am not sure my mother enjoyed these political "discussions"; she did not believe in encouraging children to "argue with their parents."

My father would always reply jovially, "Linn Ann and I are not arguing. I am just teaching her the 'fine art of debate.' "

The "fine art of debate" meant listening when the other person was talking. Interrupting one's opponent, in my father's view, reflected a lack of courtesy and a lack of class. But, above all, intelligent, lively debate meant educating oneself about the subject -- both the pros and the cons -- before taking a side and arguing it.

My father also taught me that teamwork and compromise are the hallmarks of any good leader, whether it's a statesperson in Washington or a foreperson in a union shop. Always seek areas of common interest, he would tell me. Remember, the other person wants to resolve the conflict and look good just as you do.

Then would come the Bible verse that I had heard so many times: "Treat others the way you want to be treated." Don't make the other person look like an idiot just because you can, he would caution. "Remember, the day will come when the shoe is on the other foot. What goes around always comes around. "

My father was a smart man. (It always amazed me how the older I got, the smarter he became.) I recently had a friend ask me if I was going to vote for a certain candidate in our upcoming 1st District Congressional election. I gave my friend my assessment of that candidate. Then I also shared what I look for in a candidate for Congress.

Experience. The world of Washington politics is complex and difficult to navigate. I figure it takes a newcomer about two years to learn the job and learn to network effectively. I realize voter sentiment today is very anti-incumbent. Many voters want to "throw the bums out."

Someone guilty of malfeasance in office needs to be thrown out. But I am very cautious about any wholesale "anti-Washington" attitude. As I told my friend, solid experience, particularly membership on an important congressional committee, makes up for a lot of sins, in my book. I am willing to tolerate a few votes I might disagree with, if I see the person has the ability to get things done -- which leads me to No. 2 on my list.

The ability to work well with others of both political persuasions. Mavericks may sound impressive in TV ads, but can they gain support from and work with others? I want a congressperson who extends a hand across the aisle and is willing to work with members of the opposite party to achieve the common good.

Now, I realize people may have differing views as to what the "common good" is. There is a very fine balancing act between compromise and the sacrificing of one's moral principles. I would never expect a representative to do the latter.

But, I am increasingly disillusioned by officeholders and candidates whose main activities are partisan posturing and name calling. Our nation needs more teamwork from our political leaders and less finger pointing.

When I think of great statesmen of the past -- Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin -- I am hard pressed to remember what their political parties were. And I don't really care. Political parties change over time. We remember those people who get things done. These men bickered, and they argued. But in the end, they realized the need to give and take, and they built a new country in the process.

Tell me what you're for, not just what you're against. You don't like the Obama health care package? OK, tell me how you would provide coverage for thousands of children and elderly people who currently are without medical care. Or, don't you think those people are important?

You don't like the government's bailout of the banking system? OK. Tell me how you would have kept our entire financial system from collapsing, which probably would have thrown the world into a Great Depression, the likes of which we haven't seen in 70 years.

In other words, put your money where your mouth is. Criticizing others is easy. Mud slinging in this country is running rampant. I am going to vote for the person who comes up with a new idea, a new plan to solve a problem, and who is willing to subject it to intense public and media scrutiny.

I might not agree with every aspect of the plan, but, then, I don't expect to. No plan is going to please everyone.

Last, but not least, I am not impressed by candidates who claim to have all the answers. I am impressed by people who can admit their mistakes and apologize. Those who apologize when they are wrong are far more likely to get my vote in the future than those who gloat when they are right.

Why? All of us learn from our mistakes. As I tell my students, and as my father used to tell me, failing every now and then is a good thing. It keeps us humble. We learn far more from our failures than our successes.

I don't expect a leader to always be right. But I do expect a leader to acknowledge his or her mistakes and learn from them.

Those, then, are the main criteria I use in deciding whom to vote for. You will note that political ideology and political party are not on the list. That's because I have voted in enough elections to realize that political ideology often changes after an elected official arrives in Washington. I don't view that "flip-flopping" as bad or evidence that a person has been "corrupted."

Rather, I hope it is evidence that a leader has learned more about a complex issue and has carefully reconsidered his or her stance. Careful reconsideration indicates growth, and, without growth, one stagnates.

Rather than deride a person who changes his or her mind on an issue, I am probably going to applaud the person. We should all be flexible enough to alter our positions if we receive new and more complete information on a subject. (My father personally demonstrated this to me; occasionally my arguments could actually get him to change his mind on an issue.)

So whom are you going to vote for? Those are the criteria by which I judge candidates for Congress. What are yours?

Linn Ann Huntington, Hays, is a longtime journalism educator.