Of course it's not fair -- it's politics. It's not supposed to be fair.

As long as counties in California hire their sheriffs through the ballot box, the job of sheriff is going to be as much politician as it is cop. Don't like that reality, work to make the position appointed by the local county board of supervisors.

So, yes, San Diego Sheriff Bill Kolender's decision to retire before the end of his term, before even the election that will choose his replacement, was absolutely political. Kolender didn't survive all these years as San Diego chief of police and, now, sheriff, through naivette.

To hear some of his would-be successors whine about the process, though, you wonder if they have the stomach for the political arena.

Kolender is clearly quitting early in the hope that the San Diego County Board of Supervisors will appoint his second in command, Undersheriff Bill Gore (whom he's endorsed), as the interim sheriff leading up to next year's election -- giving Gore (who is running for the job) the advantages of an incumbent.

It's as transparent a play as there is -- and it's also completely legal. And in politics, if it's legal, it's fair.

Because three of the supervisors have already endorsed Gore in his race for sheriff, other candidates for sheriff are now crying foul at the thought of Gore getting the job before the election.

Here's a bit of advice from a voter: Quit whining, man up and run a better campaign than Gore.

It's not as if voters have a lack of qualified candidates from which to choose.

Yes, Gore is a former head of the San Diego FBI office. But Jim Duffy is son of the former longtime sheriff and a veteran career cop in his own right, David Bejarano is (like Kolender) former SDPD chief, and Bruce Ruff is a longtime sheriff's sergeant.

I don't think anyone disputes that each of these men has the background in law enforcement and management to serve effectively as sheriff.

Which leaves the other half of the job: politician.

That requires the ability to rally people to your cause, to convince people to support you.

You need a certain amount of God-given charisma to accomplish that, and some strong organizing skills as well.

But a lot of what makes a successful politician is presentation -- no one ever got elected president by looking weak. And when you start complaining that the other person has an unfair advantage -- even if you absolutely believe it to be true -- you appear weak to voters.

You want to be sheriff? Quietly lobby the supervisors to appoint an interim sheriff not named Gore if you must.

But publicly, assure voters that whomever the supervisors appoint is up to the task, then remind voters -- over and again, on their front doorstep, at their civic group meeting, at town-hall meetings -- it is they who will decide the next sheriff, and tell them why you are the best choice for that position.

And you know what? One of you may well be more gifted than Gore in charisma, in organizational skills, in presenting yourself in a public setting.

Of course, from Gore's perspective, it might not seem fair that God gave you different gifts than he received.

But that's politics.

Contact staff writer Jim Trageser at jtrageser@nctimes.com or (760) 740-5408.