November 3rd is a day that I have marked on my calendar. By then, all the dust will have settled, the votes will be in, and we will hopefully have a President for the next four years. Furthermore, all of the campaigning and fighting and bitching will be over.

I can’t help but notice how trendy it is these days to be into politics. When did this happen? Remember the good old days when everyone was content sitting back and not worrying about the fate of the nation? It was so much easier then. You didn’t have to speak up, you could sit around and watch cartoons, and if someone accidentally did ask for an opinion from you, all you had to say was, “Man, I’m too young to be concerned with things of that sort.”

Case in point: Green Day released an album last month entitled “American Idiot.” It’s a concept album telling the story of a guy named Jimmy and how he becomes so frustrated and disenfranchised with the world he lives in. There is political commentary a-plenty and it’s an overall intelligent and socially responsible record.

What? Green Day? Does anybody remember “Dookie?” The cover to that record was a bunch of dogs throwing poo out of airplanes. Now, these same guys are singing about the country’s political climate? Are you kidding? Even more amazing, it’s a really good CD! Am I missing some inside joke?

It’s also apparently uber-trendy to bash George W. Bush every chance you get. To an extent, that’s okay; there has been more than enough justification for criticism over the past few years. However, when the people doing the bashing are the seventeen year old meatheads who saw “Fahrenheit 9/11” this summer because “I, Robot” was sold out, it gets a little annoying.

If people disagree with the actions of one or both candidates, that’s cool. But, you shouldn’t go around chastising someone you don’t know because you heard Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon give a speech about how bad he is. I mean come on, Tim Robbins? You’re going to base your political opinion around someone who played the goofy white guy in “Nothing to Lose?”

My point is, it’s cool to have an opinion, but for God’s sake, make sure that it’s really yours. Don’t just inherit your parent’s beliefs or talk smack because Michael Moore told you to. Because the truth is, on November 2, America will be voting for the lesser of two evils. If you’re looking for a sincere, honest politician, you’re chasing your tail.

Nobody is perfect, and no matter who is elected, they are going to look a lot different sitting in the White House than they do kneeling on the doorstep begging to be let in. Washington, DC is just a big inner-city high school with everyone fighting for popularity and a chance to sit at the cool table in the cafeteria. This year, it seems as if we’ve turned the Presidential election into a popularity contest, and we may end up paying for it. Then we’ll have to listen to another round of bitching for four more years until the process starts all over again.

This column was way too serious. I’m going to watch “Wayne’s World.”