Whether you are in class early this morning, right outside your local polling location already, or just walking out, donning your sticker after lining up that ballot, this column is yet another reminder that today is the day to elect a new president to lead our country.

It’s been months since the primaries and years since the beginning of the election, so it really should be no surprise to you that the time has come. Take advantage of it because your opportunity to participate in our brand of democracy is almost gone and forgetting, having to work, or not knowing who to vote for are not excuses. It’s really not too difficult.

From the beginning, your choices were basically narrowed down to two colors: red and blue, which represented the platform of their respective parties on the debate stage in different colors and this time, even genders. There were other colors, but they are like brown — no one’s “favorite color.” Some are colorblind to them, so they are wrongfully discarded. They never really make it into the mainstream media, so you don’t really have to worry about them, if you’re the average voter at least.

Within the blues, there were different shades and different tints. One shade of blue looked a little darker than others, but the only people who really took notice were those quick to deem him a “Muslim” or even a “terrorist”. Others found in him a new favorite shade of blue they thought America could wear well.

There was another shade others kind of liked too. Some acted like they had never seen this feminine blue before, and in the history of presidential candidacies, they actually hadn’t. She was strong, but eventually faded out after a tough battle.

And then there were two for most people — one red and one blue.

These two colors campaigned and tried to paint the other in ways that did not go with their true hue. Dyeing and paint-splattering was found all over the front pages of the newspapers, around 8 p.m. some nights at the debate, and in between our favorite television shows.

It became easy to judge on appearance. Those who watched the debate saw the wrinkles in Mr. Red’s pallid brow and his balding hair, and others saw the dark tone of Mr. Blue as a threat to our national security. Some cared about their tax plans, their health care plans, their education reforms they planned and their ideas to solve the energy crisis and the worsened economy. Others just saw them for their appearance or even the color of their skin.

So really, the media has almost made the decision for you.

Walking down State Street, there was a group of friends who sounded sure they were voting blue. When asked, one of those friends said, “I don’t really know much about either of the candidates, so I’ll probably just vote for…” Regardless which color he chose, he chose it for the wrong reasons. He could have looked around campus and saw blue was kind of the trend, or maybe he just couldn’t stand that Alaskan shade of red who didn’t know about the Bush doctrine, or any daily newspapers, or a whole lot of anything really. This isn’t the way voting works.

Picking a candidate isn’t as easy as picking a favorite color. A voter and sentient citizen has to be able to make choices about the political viability of a candidate through a careful judgment of their character in addition to a firm belief in their policies.

Today, voting should be pretty easy for you. Either you’re judging by color or you’ve already done your research, watched all the debates, even checked out a couple of what the independents or greens have to say, and you know for a fact the line you make connects your opinion of what is best for the country to the candidate who will best represent these views.

This election is a very important one, and it seems difficult to overstate. Some citizens, such as the politically apathetic, don’t really understand the power of their vote and have the “it’s only one vote” attitude. They may think the Electoral College will invalidate their vote or their vote is basically “a vote for [another candidate]” or a candidate who is already positioned to lose. However, these votes of one add up to a lot more than expected. It’s embarrassing when more people tune into “American Idol” than vote. As a nation, we are having our own final episode of “American Idol,” only the candidates are a little older and not quite as good of singers.

Make sure to vote today, and before you do, take a look at the spectrum of candidates to choose from. Then, be confident in your decision. Try not to vote for a “lesser evil.” Look for a candidate you can feel comfortable giving power to — and as ridiculous as it is to say about a politician — someone you almost trust.

Patrick Johnson ([email protected]) is a freshman majoring in English and journalism.