With the ever-growing influence of the media on our everyday lives and the constant power struggle in Washington, whom do we turn to during election time to get the cold hard facts?

Every four years, the political campaigns take over our normally unbiased entertainment — television, radio, newspapers and last but not least the Internet. The symptoms of presidential elections include, but are not limited to, confusion, aggressive behavior and a sudden desire to profess your beliefs on how the world would be perfect if your candidate is elected.

But with a healthy dose of common sense, the uninformed voter should be able to survive this time of fear and confusion and hopefully make it out to the other side. First, avoid political commercials endorsing a specific candidate at all costs.

These fallacy-ridden promotion tools are absolutely worthless when it comes to evaluating each candidate. Candidates make such pathetic values appeals while attacking their opposition’s credibility that I get embarrassed just watching the commercial. The second bit of advice I can give you is stay up-to-date on current issues and listen to both sides, even if it’s an argument you completely disagree with. The key to making a well-informed decision is knowing both sides of the argument.

Another good tool for choosing the right candidate is looking at their track record and how they have handled past controversies and responsibilities. Lastly, evaluate your own values and make a decision on which candidate makes the most sense for you. These steps will help you make a level-headed decision, while becoming more informed on issues that affect our everyday lives.