As a totally uneducated, but opinionated former Political Science student, I figured I’d jump on this hallowed date as the opportunity to force my political opinions down your throat.

So let us roundtable discuss the cast of candidates that show up on my radar, in order of who I like the most:

Bill Richardson- I want him to win the primary. Why? Maybe it’s because he’s a New Mexican. Maybe it’s because he is Hispanic. Maybe it’s because he served in Clinton’s cabinet. Maybe it’s because he’s smart and has some original ideas on how to tackle national issues. All that being said, I’m not delusional: He won’t win the primary. He’s lacking in charisma and notoriety.

Barak Obama- I like him, I really do. He seems to have a pair, not only because he is running with only a couple of terms of state senatorship and one national term under his belt, but because he has somehow overcome incredible odds to be a front-runner in the party. My only hesitation is that I like a strong, lengthy voting record to prove their ideologies match their action. That said, I’d still rather have a ballsy candidate that can instigate some serious repair than some middle of the road candidate.

John Edwards- Talk about an approachable “every man” candidate. I like him. He seems like affable fellow that I could sit next to at a diner and talk about sports. My problem is purely emotional, in that I’m not sure how gutsy he is. It is my personal belief that radical change is due, and I’m not sure this gentle guy from North Carolina can deal the blows I am looking for on the Democratic ticket. I look for him to be VP on the Presidential ticket though.

Hillary Clinton - I was so, so excited to hear her announce candidacy for President. Until I realized my excitement was purely gender based. Her politics confuse me - she talks a lot but doesn’t have a voting record I like. Her past affiliations with Republicans and corporate America makes me speculate her pure intentions. I’ve come to terms that I see Hillary in the same light I saw Joe Lieberman; people I don’t trust as far as I could throw them. I disliked Lieberman so much, I voted for Nader in 2000 (to be fair, I was living in Oregon at the time and knew the state would swing Democratic, so quiet down).

The rest of the Democratic candidates leave me limp and uninterested. The are relegated to “not on radar” status. Yes, this includes Kucinich and his hot young wife. 

While this applies more after the Republican ticket is solidified, I’ve been trying to evaluate the right side of the playing field. It is only fair to look beyond your own ideology to see if someone matches your desires, so I’ve tried to take some time to learn about the Republicans. Truth be told, they all scare me for different reasons. They are all seemingly obvious reasons - from scary religious fanatics hellbent on taking away my right to control my body to failed actors that have not a original thought in their wee brains. Please don’t take offense my conservative friends, but your people scare me.

So with baited breath, let the Caucus begin.