Lets start this class with a yes or no: have YOU voted yet today?

If you haven’t already, get your lazy butts off your dorm room futons and go for your local representatives and officials! There is a multitude of important issues that will be decided today and every vote counts.

While our fingers and toes might be busy tallying up local votes, the real question burning on everyone’s mind this time of year is just who will take the cake in 2012?

Four years ago, when I was young, naïve and believed that the world wanted to do right be me and countless other college kids, I put my trusty vote in Barack Obama. Then I watched tons of the YouTube videos put together by his team (my personal fave is the “Yes We Can” video, featuring tons of celebrities) and even got teary-eyed as our national declared him President of the United States – if you’re shaking your head at me, whatever, I believe it was a big moment for our country.

Now that I’m almost four years all the wiser, I find myself singing a different tune when it comes to our country, our politics and our Leader in Chief. In the time since Obama was elected President I have graduated college, cried at the sight of my college loan debacle and I am unemployed.

For so many of us, there is a lot riding on this upcoming 2012 Presidential election. With our current economic mess, the bruise on the middle class and our healthcare fiasco, big changes need to be made.

There’s just one problem: I know little to nothing about the men and women on the Republican side of things who are gearing up their campaigns to run against current Prez Obama in 2012. It’s a little embarrassing, but I don’t really know who/what to believe this time around. I really believed Obama was going to come in overnight and the country would change in the blink of an eye! Okay, not really, but I believed he was going to be able to do something about it.

In the event that Obama is not the man for the job, here’s a look at the other players from the Republican Party who still believe they can change the course of our crisis:

initiating the gallery...

After a decent deal of research there are two things I can comfortably conclude. None of the above conservative candidates are interested in protecting the rights of my gay and lesbian friends. Likewise, none of these folks are interested in protecting my personal right to choose when it comes to my body. It’s funny, isn’t it? We are taught in kindergarten that it is “your body, your rules” and yet none of these candidates have learned to be respectful of others personal space. Maybe we need a lesson in humanity more than political ideology.

Each of the overviews listed provide a brief summary of the biggest candidates in the media right now. Since this is not a complete list of each candidate as well as their policy plans once in office, here is a great website to visit that provides a compelling and detailed list of each nominee’s presidential plans.

Political ads around election time are famous for their often-nasty messages, intending to take down the opposition. Interest groups act as a sidekick, informally backing certain candidates by criticizing their opponent. With all the smack-talk, it can be really difficult to decipher fact from fiction.

Amid this chaotic media mess, there are several sources that are not only reliable but also non-partisan. They provide voters with the facts, avoiding the echoes of emotion and party allegiance.

Here are a few must-read sites for any college student planning to vote this election– hopefully, that’s all of you!

Project Vote Smart
Votesmart.org provides candidates’ voting records, their political stance on all issues, and their approval ratings by interest groups. Seriously, there is no better site to inform you about your state’s candidates, leaving out the mess of opinion and sticking to the cold hard facts.

FactCheck.org
This site sifts through the truths and lies of campaign ads. It allows readers to be informed of false advertising and not fall for the tricks of media campaigning.

CNN.com
In case it wasn’t obvious in my previous posts, I rely on CNN for much of my political knowledge. After checking out the aforementioned sites, head to the following interactive links on CNN.com and delve deeper into the midterm elections.

The Races
This interactive map to all the midterm elections (Senate, House, Governor) allows you to find out who is running in your state. Also, the site provides visual representations of party control in the House and Senate. There are also lists of the races to watch, accompanied by a blurb about the two candidates that are competing for the seat.

The Polls
This area of CNN’s “Election Center” has a myriad of political news articles about the majority of the races, relaying where Americans stand in certain races and why they’re voting in such a way.

My Election
After being prompted to type in your area code, you will find a wealth of news, polls, and opinion pieces about the candidates from your state. Also, you can find out what’s at stake this election, voting information, and fund raising numbers per candidate.

Voting by party, rather than issue, is dangerous. As I’ve mentioned before, it’s essential to understand who you’re voting for and where they genuinely stand on the important issues. Before heading to the polls on November 2, make sure you check out these helpful sites and know who you’re voting into power.

How to meaningfully reduce your expenses.

Kanye cancels on Oprah? VIA EMAIL?!

Are you more likely to vote for a woman?

4 signs you are about to get dumped.

Real Housewives of Atlanta premiered last night. And there was already a brawl.

Speaking of brawls, is Teresa Guidice getting her own show?

Renting or buying textbooks – which is better?

Some girls may have high school homecoming corsages dried and preserved in a chest of memories, while others have likely burned any evidence that they took their younger brother two years in a row. However you recall your high school homecomings – get ready for a whole new ball game in college.

In retrospect, the hectic nature of the whole Homecoming Saga in high school was just flat out unnecessary. Between the hairdos (like $40 for a fancy ponytail, what the hell?), the unattractive acrylic talons, choosing a restaurant (Italian makes you gassy but the smell of Chinese really gets into fabrics), and worrying about  what type of guy Sparknotes says you’ll be dragging along, the romanticized idea of homecoming is just a little much.

But you better enjoy the crazies while you can, because once you hit a college campus “homecoming” takes on a new face all together. Here are some of the primary differences:

Price

High School: $60/month unlimited tanning package at the Tiki de Soleil Bronzed Goddess Something Salon (So. Many. Orange. People.), $500 dress that you will probably never take out of the dress bag again keep forever to show the grandchildren, $10 boutonniere, $18 corsage because you want it to match exactly and not have him totally eff it up, $15 for your limo portion, etc…

College: $10 team color face paint, $0 game face, and a little beer money (tailgating galore!).

Royalty

High School: Get nominated in some twisted democratic process that is supposed to encourage voting in the long run. It comes down to the same batch of people who are nominated for pretty much everything else in the school. Regardless, it’s an honor to be nominated and chosen by your peers for something so hyped up in teenage rom-com dream sequences.

College: We have homecoming royalty in college? Yeah, they have to fill out an application. It’s the big leagues, kids. Pretty serious stuff– unless you are within the 99.9% of people on your campus who are too busy taking (school spirited) beer bongs/couldn’t care less.

After Party

High School: Probably off to the mall (nothing finishes off a night like the rousing sounds of mall cops on Segways), a 24-hour diner, or someone’s house where there’s, like, tons of alchy (scandalous!). Take plenty of pictures to add to your “HC 2010 <3″ FB album, uploaded and tagged my morning.

College: Odds are you’re still recovering through Monday’s 8:30 lecture. Evidence? It may be scattered on FB….or in the eyes of the many people who saw you trekking home (with smeared face paint) on Sunday morning.

Date

High School: Elaborate schemes planned months in advance involving various forms of chocolate,  baked goods, Safeway bouquets, and oversized teddy bears. Often influenced by several hour stints on Google. It has to be a perfect match, at least for that night.

College: Me ticket, you ticket, we game. End of story. The types of dates here are endless. But it never hurts to give that totally hot foreign kid in Chem 101 his first taste at American football… and women!

Just another reason to hate Keith Olberman and the rude ladies at The View.

We are so happy that Holly Madison isn’t hung up on Hef anymore.

Mod makeup has been popular since the 1960s and is back again.

Apparently, being a lesbian is way worse than being bi.

The Super Bowl is now going to wreck more women’s lives than usual.

Michelle and Barack Obama scoped out their new pad today.

Being green can be dangerous, especially for James Cromwell.

Watches, to wear or not to wear?

Oprah has taken over the world, well almost.

If only this worked to change water into wine too!

But, we in the youngest (and perhaps extremely influential) voting demographic also reserve our right to party! And after all the ballots are cast, tonight is shaping up to be the biggest party night in America. So after you’ve done your civic duty, grab your friends and get ready to watch the returns with these creative suggestions:

The Setting:

Make sure you have the essentials: a television and ample seating room. But why not spruce up the space for the occasion? If you’re lucky to have the day off from classes today (as we do at my school– thank you, Fordham!), take a few minutes to make some posters! Rasterbator is an online application that will make any image you choose into a poster up to 20 meters in size. (The image will be blown up and printed out in pieces on regular 8 1/2 x 11″ sheets of paper, so you just assemble the sheets like a grid.) It’s really quick, extremely simple, and only requires the internet and a printer.

The Games

Take it a step further by printing two posters (one of Obama and one of McCain) and grabbing some construction paper. Cut out 50 squares from construction paper and label them with the names of each state. Have your guests tack each respective state onto the poster of the candidate who wins it, to keep track of election returns.

If you and your friends are rooting for different candidates, make the night interesting with a little friendly (yet apolitical) competition! While waiting for the results of the election to unfold, pass the time with a few innocent games. Ask your McCain fans to wear something red, and your Obama fans to wear blue. Play team versions of 20 Questions, Catch Phrase, or Charades. If you have outdoor space, hold a Three-Legged Race or a Tug-o-War, depending upon how many people you can gather for your party.

Not into physical exercise? It’s ok; we’re not either. Drinking games are more our speed, so grab a couple cases of beer (or some red and blue booze!) and play this game until you puke we elect a president.

The Food

There’s no better way to celebrate democracy than with some classic American grub. Fill up while the votes pile up with some hamburgers! Order out or make your own ‘Bama Burgers/ Palin Patties. And for the vegetarians among us, serve up a (Bi)Partisan Pizza Pie with this healthy recipe.

And how about some election-themed desserts? Try following this recipe for sugar cookies and buying red and blue icing. As you’re watching the election returns, eat a red cookie every time John McCain wins a state, and a blue cookie every time Barack Obama wins a state. (You can also do the same with cupcakes.) If baking isn’t your thing, why not pick up a few tubs of vanilla (or other white-colored) ice cream, and some red and blue food dye. Guests can display their party pride (or just their patriotism) with tinted ice cream.

Food, drinks and games – even if your candidate of choice doesn’t win, tonight is gonna be fun. And if he does…well, let’s dance.

They’re trooping off to the polls in the biting November chill, snug in their Uggs and North Faces zipped to the collars. They’re waking up too early and standing around in long lines for something that isn’t free food. They’re American college students, and they are voting.

Smell that? That’s the smell of freedom. Also, American college students don’t shower much.

Are you with them – or are you against them? Political nihilists beware: the jaded, “The-electoral-college-it’s-a-broken-system-f**k-I’m-moving-to-the-Moon” attitude won’t get you anywhere this year, because cynicism is out and passion is in! If it’s such a big stick up your ass, go vote for Bob Barr or something. If he’s not on the ballot, write-in “John from College Candy.” But please, do go and vote.

And what about this evening? You probably don’t have anything important to do while you watch poll results stream in, and “Nation’s First Black President” or “Nation’s First Woman Vice President” are both perfectly acceptable reasons to skip all your classes tomorrow. This means you should drink!

2008 United States Presidential Election Drinking Game

(As always, replace “chug” with “shot” if that’s how you roll.)

- Drink after you vote – you’ve earned it! (Not before, please.)

- Prepare red and blue drinks (Red – Sex on the Beach and… blue? I don’t know, straight Blue Curacao?) and drink from one or the other whenever a state gets called for the respective party.

- Chug every time a “swing state” (Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Colorado, Georgia) turns into a blowout for one side or the other.

- Drink every time Obama looks sassy and classy at his Chicago gala. Chug if he repeats his dance performance from his appearance on Ellen DeGeneres.

- Drink every time McCain gives anyone a thumbs-up or winks; chug if both.

- Drink any time anyone on the T.V. says “Joe;” chug if Sarah Palin says it.

- Drink whenever Tina Fey pops onto the TV, not including “30 Rock” commercials.

- Drink every time McCain styles himself an “underdog.”

- Drink every time Obama uses spiritual, religious or otherwise goofy metaphor to describe himself, his campaign or his supporters (“a mighty wind is at our backs,” for example).

- Drink every time a McCain supporter walks into the room (You’re on a college campus, they’re rare creatures)

- If you are a McCain supporter, chug whenever you get depressed about the election, which probably means “whenever results come in.” It’s going to be a long night for you, I’m afraid. You’ll probably want to forget the pain.

- If you’re an Obama supporter, meanwhile, drink and high-five someone every time you feel “pumped.”

- If you didn’t vote today, your punishment is drinking malt liquor alone in your room, a**hole.

- Drink every time a report of voter suppression rolls in. Ideally, you’re also drunk enough to stand up and start an angry chant about your god-damn f**king rights.

- Drink every time one of the candidates’ attack lawyers gets ready to sue.

- Drink every time a saccharine T.V. reporter gushes about the enormous passion of youth voters this year.

- Drink whenever someone cites the “Bradley effect” – or racism in general, for that matter.

- Drink every time you can give everyone a smarmy grin and say “Oh, yeah, I read about this on the Internet.”

- Finally, chug when we elect a new President of the United States of America! It’s history in the making – who wants to remember something like that?

Did Obama give McCain the finger?

Who needs a man? Go to the movies alone!

Someone got the axe at Grey’s Anatomy.

OMFG. He’s so hot.

The election night drinking game.

What happens if the other dude wins?

So, Joe the Plumber didn’t get with that chick from SNL…

Tips for acing every class.

You’ve done your civic duty – now treat yourself!

Paris Hilton hates how guys use her for sex!

Everyone’s preparing for election day.

Heidi Klum is scary.

Dead people are voting in Ohio!

The funniest Wikipedia page ever.

Are you an informed citizen?

You can be a Guitar Hero…for real!

In case you need a little push to get out and vote.

The election is gonna require some heavy drinking.

What can I say? I’m very passionate.

Which made things a bit difficult for me recently when I met a wonderful guy…whom I soon found out was a Republican (ew). I wanted to like him – really I did – but was it really possible to be with someone who votes for the other party? I mean, it may be just a vote, but doesn’t it all tie back to someone’s beliefs, morals and passion?

I tried to stick it out, but I couldn’t get myself past the fact that he declared his love for Fox News within the first 5 minutes of my arrival.

Don’t get me wrong; there is nothing wrong with Fox News. And there is nothing wrong with Republicans. But someone who makes a bold statement about his love for Fox News is not someone I want to be with. It is one thing to date someone who votes for the other team; it is quite another to date someone who votes for the other team and then declares his love for said team from every pedestal/mountain/tall chair he can find.

At that point it becomes less about political party and more about values and common interests. It is not that I hated him for voting for Bush (which, in fact, I did), but rather that my idea of a fun Saturday looked completely different from his. I like to walk in the park, hit up the farmer’s market and peruse the aisles of Trader Joe’s. He wants to listen to Rush Limbaugh on the radio while he drives his gas guzzling Hummer to a Pro-Life rally downtown.

Like everything else in life, when dating someone out of your political party moderation is key. If your prospective mate is a more moderate member of the Republican Party, that’s fine; while you may have differing views on tax breaks for the wealthy, the more important issues – the ones that come from deep inside you and dictate who you are – may still align. But if he’s a Bush loving, gun toting, anti-abortion activist, you may want to pack your things and get out. And, perhaps, consider picking up a more liberal lookin’ guy at the polls tomorrow.