More on the primary challengers (and the challenged)

1. The Inquirer offers a quaint picture of the process by which candidates for the city's ward committees are being assigned their ballot positions for the May election. Bingo-style drawing of numbers is up there with voting in neighborhood maintenance sheds in terms of my affection for the ground level of civic involvement -- very real, very little pretense.
   
   
2. The large number of challengers for state legislative races inspires a reflection on the high rate of incumbent retention in Pennsylvania. Are we gaining lots of experience, losing responsiveness to voters, or both?