I consider myself a fairly politically minded person, but if I get handed one more flyer about tomorrow’s primary, I’m going to scream. The campaigning seems to have gone on for ages, and we’ve got a long, long time until we get to the actual election.

My mind’s been made up for weeks, but you hardly need to hear my thoughts on why Barack Obama is the coolest thing since sliced bread or how Hillary Clinton is totally going to bring about an American utopia.

Despite how totally excessive it feels, all the buildup to this primary is exciting to watch. With all the visits and press coverage, it feels like OU is at the center of the universe.

I’ve managed to have class during each and every one of the campaign stops these past few days, so I haven’t got to see Bill or Chelsea Clinton, or Michelle Obama. But just judging from the crowds gathering outside where they were supposed to be meeting, their visits are striking a chord with people.

Ohio actually matters in election cycles, but this election seems to actually matter to Ohioans. People seem excited by this primary, exhilarated by it. Maybe it’s the prospect of really affecting the outcome of things. Maybe it’s this hope for change.

Now, Athens is hardly neutral ground for politics. It’s blue about all the way through, which has got to present some frustrations for the Republicans in our midst. We haven’t exactly had big visits from John McCain or the Mike Huckabee campaign either, but then I don’t imagine they’d get the warm reception that the Democratic candidates have.

FOX News, with its particular blend of journalism and spin, is coming to campus to cover the primary this week, though, so that’s a bit of conservative presence in all this. It’s covering the youth vote through the eyes of our students, so our Bobcats’ opinions will be seen across the nation.

For everyone who’s working hard to get information out about the candidates, I give you a lot of credit. I’ve done my share of passing out flyers in the cold, and it’s far from pleasant. You’ve certainly got the word out, and I hope it pays off for you. Whether that means your candidate winning or just the warm satisfaction of participating in the process, you did good work.

That being said: If you do see me going past you, please don’t give me a flyer. I’ve got my mind made up; it’d be a waste of paper.