Homies, please get over your love affair with politicians

People have this indescribable infatuation with President Barack Obama; a sort of adoration for his successfully portrayed cool image. He drinks beers in random midwestern bars, reveals that he used to smoke weed, plays basketball and does other junk that distracts people from his actual work, or rather, lack thereof.  People don't necessarily love Obama's politics, but rather, are in awe of his eloquence and persona.  This bandwagon obsession with looking at Obama as a person instead of focusing on his politics and platform is evident all around me. Like broken records, my Obama-supporting peers like to note how Obama connects with the people and how's he's so eloquent, often holding him to the standards of a religious deity. Admittedly, President Obama deserves some credit: he has an uncanny ability to captivate any audience. He could spew absolute trash and people would still listen, with tears in their eyes, and clap enthusiastically at the end, as if they just heard "The Star Spangled Banner" for the first time. Realistically, I would much rather have a president who is not the best public speaker but is well suited and prepared for his job over a president who can blanket his lack of action and drive with compelling words. Used-car salesmen can talk nicely too, but that doesn't mean they can run a country.Obama is guaranteed to win this election; if you think otherwise, you’re kidding yourself. Obama has a group of fervent supporters that not only back him fully, but also cringe with disgust at the sound of the word “republican." I can't necessarily blame them. Some republican politicians truly make the rest of us non-Tea party, moderate republicans look bad, with their radical remarks that have been just flat out stupid and have given the democratic party yet another unnecessary edge. But most democrats, specifically the far-left liberals, don't  give any republican a chance to talk, and automatically write the republican's comments off as "invalid" or as "typical republican lies."I used to really care about politics. It’s not that I don’t care now, it’s that I’ve been worn out by trying to educate people who are obviously blindsided by their staunchly liberal views. I sit in the back of my AP Government class and just listen to students going on and on about Obama. I'm not going to spew a bunch of statistics (there is no shortage of them) about how Obama has failed the country in regards to the economy, foreign policy, etc., each side can do that about the other.  Conversely, I’m here to urge you to at least do your research before you vote. Obviously, one of the great beauties of this incredible country lies in our ability as adult American citizens to vote for the presidential candidate we feel will best fulfill the jobs of the president. Though it’s hard to look past exciting celebrity endorsements of Obama, such as Snoop Lion’s (formerly Snoop Dogg), we must ponder which candidate is actually most suitable for our country.I'm not trying to be "holier than thou" and try to convince you that I am the most knowledgeable person on this subject. Are you crazy? I'm not even 18. In fact, I will be the first to admit that I still have a lot to learn. But then again, we all have much to learn. Still, we can each do our part. So, I implore you to get over your love affairs with politicians and quit glorifying them as celebrities. This unconditional adoration and unyielding financial support some citizens have for specific politicians is bad for our government—it creates career politicians who spend so much time in one position, that no other politician even thinks of running against this political staple. Of course, a president only can serve up to eight years, but senators, for example, don’t have this limit. This career politician, who does not have these bounds, will never truly need to listen to the people, never need to prove his or her worthiness, because he or she is so permanent. This allows the career politician to sit back and coast—his or her job is set. Personally, I find it more beneficial to return to the method of the good ole’ 1800s when people became politicians for a few years and then returned to their homes and continued their lives. This allows for a higher turnover rate for the ever-changing political thoughts and significantly ups diversity and invites new thoughts and solutions.With this said, it is important to note that all politicians, but most specifically, presidents, deserve respect. After all, most of the country (or at least the electoral college) saw them fit enough to be the leader of the free world for four years. So, if you haven't collected this already, rest assured that this article is not necessarily an attack on President Obama, but a plea to his supporters and even the faithful Romney supporters (though I doubt there are many) to end blindly following their respective candidates. If you’re going to vote for a presidential nominee, at least know why.Politics is a dirty game and generally, politicians are no better. But, it is our obligation as patriotic citizens to pick the best politician, democrat or republican, we feel will restore our country. Unfortunately for us, the politician who clearly is going to win is not the best choice. Nonetheless, we must vote for a leader who will pull us up from under this suffering economy so we can all enjoy the prosperity, abundance and opportunity of this unparalleled nation. Make good decisions, people.Nadine MelamedOnline Editornmelamed@thesamohi.com