This year's presidential race has started earlier than ever. This is the time when seniors should be researching which candidate best fits with their views and who they think should lead our country.

So why do most students not have any idea who is running?

Why do students show no interests in who will be leading America for the next four years?

Those that do show interest often choose candidates based on appearance, sex, race or media hype. Most students don't even research each candidate's position on important issues in America today.

Would you buy a T-shirt, without trying it on? Of course not. Maybe it's too small or too large. Maybe you don't like the feel of the material.

So why, then, would anyone pick a candidate to run our country based on some unimportant factor?

Recently, I was talking to a girl about politics. I asked which candidate she was going to vote for, and she said, "I am going to vote for Hilary because she's a woman."

I have no disrespect for a woman running for president, but when someone chooses a candidate based solely on the candidate's gender and not on her views, that makes me a little upset.

This girl knew nothing about Hilary's views -- just that she wants to see a woman in office. Is it too much to ask for students to research a candidate before they make a choice?

I have researched just about every aspect of every candidate in each party. I have spent hours finding out which party to choose based on my views.

My research has led me to Republican Ron Paul.

He is the only Republican who is against the war in Iraq and who wants to pull our troops out. He is against anything that invalidates the U.S. Constitution. He is for lowering taxes and protecting our borders. I could go on, but if you would like to know more, you can visit RonPaul2008.com.

I am not trying to make you choose Ron Paul. I am just trying to say that whichever candidate you do choose, please make sure that he or she is the right pick for you. Don't get caught up in the media hype that you see on TV.

You may think that you don't care about the election or politics, but if you want to live in a prosperous country, then you need to be educated on the candidates to make your choice count. So get on the Internet and check out the candidates, watch the debates when you can or read news articles about the presidential race. Do anything to show America that teenagers do care about our future.