For those of you who vote to the right, there isn’t much controversy in who you are pulling for in the presidential race. For those of you who vote to the left, you are faced with a dilemma with who to support.

The dilemma is to whom do you throw your support in the upcoming democratic primaries on Feb. 17 and the looming national election in November?

Six candidates stand before you, all explaining why they should be the next commander-in-chief and what they are going to change and do.

I’m sorry to say it, but only four candidates really have a chance of making it to the Democratic National Convention in Boston, and even that is sketchy. Sorry, Dennis Kucinich and Al Sharpton fans, but I don’t think they have the backing or the funds to make it the distance.

Then who will you support? Do you believe in John Kerry’s “100 days to change America” campaign? Put faith in John Edwards’ “18-point plan?” Stand tall with Wesley Clark in his “Leadership for a new America?” Or run with Howard Dean’s pitch in “Reclaiming the American Dream?”

All the candidates have impressive r‚sum‚s that qualify them for the highest office in the land, but who do you trust? We certainly don’t want another president who promises many things on the way to the White House, but does not deliver when in the hot seat.

Sure, you can recognize the candidate’s faces, but can you distinguish between their proposed policy changes? It’s hard because they are all pretty similar and general at this point in the game on health care, the war in Iraq, the economy, homeland defense and so on.

Do Democrats risk voting for who they want or just the person who has the best chance of beating George W. Bush, while trying to avoid another split ticket where candidates like Ralph Nader take liberal votes away from the democratic plight.

I know it is impossible to keep up with all the issues because we all have busy lives of our own. But I urge you to get involved and make your voice heard. It is our civic duty as citizens to be informed on the issues. Don’t be one of the fools who say, “I’m not going to vote because my vote doesn’t matter anyway.”

The last presidential election is a perfect discredit to those ignorant beliefs. According to civicyouth.org, only 42.4 percent of our age group voted in the last election, while the older generation had a 70.3 percent turn out.

Even though Wisconsin was one of the states with the highest youth voter turnout, we still can do more to make sure our fellow brethren make it to the polls or primaries and complete their civic duties.

Our age group is voting only at a little under half its power. Just imagine if we seized our full voting potential. Then we would have to be considered and our issues would be moved to the forefront. Gone would be the days where candidates try to sway our vote with their aging hipster ploys or if they smoked pot or not. But we must convince the powers that be that we care, and they will start to pay more attention to us.

Whatever your political prowess, get involved, even if it is at the local level with the city council elections. Be a member of this society and do something to make it better. To not use the right to vote is to not use one of the greatest rights we have as Americans.