For some reason “vote” has become a four-letter word to the just-over-18 crowd. This is kind of odd because if Nelly was running for governer of California, hoards of Carson Daly wannabes would jam the voting booths.

Why not put someone cool in charge? Believe it or not Ronald Reagan was an actor and even did movies with chimps!

Even Arnold Schwarzenegger is thinking about taking a crack at the political game. I would personally love to see him in a political ad saying, “Come with me if you want to live.”

It’s kind of sad but only 36 percent of 18 to 24 year olds voted in the last election, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.That means that the other almost 60 could have voted for someone cool, someone who could have made the state budget come in on time.

Financial aid checks were delayed to the point where some students didn’t even know if they were going to be able to pay for classes. If the budget would have come in on time, then the checks would have been there when they were promised.

Instead, students got more broken promises, and isn’t that what politicians do anyway, lie and break promises?

Staying at home watching “Dukes of Hazzard” reruns gained precedence over picking someone who would make a good elected official. This means all of us got more of the same from politicians.

Imagine what could happen if more young people voted.

They could vote for someone who would fix the impossibly crowded Rosedale Highway or lower the cost of classes at Bakersfield College from $11 to who knows how low.

Heck, if every one of the 26,110,000 voters between 18 and 25 voted the right way, they could get Washington to legalize “it.”

Not voting lets politicians take advantage of you. Don’t be Gray Davis’ bitch. Vote on Nov. 5.