You make some mistakes. But at least when you are nominated, you are put before the people. They have a merit system because, somewhere along the line, they had a scandal where a judge takes a bribe. It may not be perfect, but we have found that none have gone back, because the system produces highly skilled judges. Sixteen states use judicial nominating commissions, and four states allow gubernatorial appointments from nominees chosen by a judicial commission.
Political parties are opposed to any reform.
They want to control who becomes a judge. In Colorado, judges are appointed and then face retention elections. Before the election, a committee puts out a performance assessment of each judge so voters know who is on the ballot. But advocates in Colorado acknowledge their appointive system is potentially subject to political influence. Such influence has been felt elsewhere in retention elections, in which special-interest groups can have a disproportionate impact because voter turnout is generally low.