It would be difficult to find one thing that President Obama and I agree on.

This doesn’t mean I hate the guy. I cringe when my friends simply refer to him as Barry or Obama. I think the term “Obamacare” demeans his office and is incredibly disrespectful.

I think his policies and ideas are destructive, but I listen every time he talks because I know the time will come where I will have to articulate the reasons I feel the way I do.

Now, odds are you are reading this and thinking you and I have something in common. Allow me to mention the name Sarah Palin.

If you just saw red and your blood pressure skyrocketed, it is best not to read any further. Your heart may not survive the following paragraph.

During the 2008 campaign, I remember being very depressed after each debate, both for president and vice president. I would always wonder how it was that these four people were the best we had to offer.

I had never been much of a McCain fan, but I was amazed at the polarized attention his vice presidential nominee got. It’s not like we reserve that role for super qualified people. Just look at the last two decades.

Regardless of that, it seemed like everyone I talked to either was in love with the woman, or had abject hatred for her. I began asking these people what about her past, specifically in her term as governor, made them feel the way they did but I only got things she was “trying” or “wanted” to do.

By way of comparison, I have always thought that President Bush’s No Child Left Behind bill was a federal power grab that took authority away from states and parents. I disagreed with TARP because I don’t believe the government should prop up only specific entities and I certainly didn’t believe that economic Armageddon was hours away if we didn’t pass it immediately.

Those are just two specific things President Bush did that I disagreed with and I promise they weren’t particularly difficult to articulate. So please, in the coming campaign, do your research before you absolutely fall in love with a candidate, or despise them with every breath you take.

Those of us who are about to graduate have few illusions about the terrible job market we are entering. If we continue to make uninformed decisions, we will soon no longer be able to wash our hands of the foolish vote we’ve cast because the reality will be staring us directly in the face.