Will Rogers once said, “I’m not a member of any organized party … I’m a Democrat.” That is what I said in my first political column of the year. This being my last, I found it appropriate to begin the same way. This has been one of the most exciting years in American political history.

President Obama has made some of the most incredible accomplishments in modern politics. The most influential bill in our healthcare system passed, he spent more money on creating jobs than any other president in history and numerous members of the Republican Party tipped over the top on the idiot scale. It was all beautiful.

I was going to write this article about the past year and what’s to come in the next years in the political world. But, I have a feeling if you read this article then you already know what happened, and if you don’t, well then you’re not reading this anyway. So instead I’m going to talk about the personal effect this column has had on me. Here it goes.

Almost on a daily basis someone on campus stops me to talk politics. Professors I’ve never seen in my life ask me questions regarding bills in congress or the deficit. Students come up to me and thank me because, in this ultra-conservative state, it sometimes feels that we democrats are as rare as Big Foot.

I’ve become known as “that liberal guy” or “that democrat.” Sometimes it’s a compliment, sometimes it’s an insult. I’ve been stopped in the mall, in the bar, at work-everywhere you can possibly imagine-to talk politics. I have to admit, I love it.

But it’s not all great. I lost an incredible girlfriend because our political views didn’t match up. Opposites attract, but if you can’t agree on issues such as gay marriage, abortion or freedom of religion, it’s just not going to work.

That instance hurt-it hurt more than anything I had ever experienced. But politics are my life, and I’m more passionate about them than anything in this world, so I guess it’s a sacrifice I had to make. Maybe I’ll find me a good ol’ fashioned democrat to date one day.

The next few years in politics will be some of the most important in our young lives. The largest deficit we have ever seen has to be dealt with, we are now in three wars, gas prices have skyrocketed and, on top of all that, it’s election season already.

It will be interesting to see what nut job the GOP picks to try and make President Obama a one-term president. I can’t wait to see what roles Donald Trump and Sarah Palin play in 2012.

All I know is that I’m still going to vote a straight democrat ticket, as always. And as I say goodbye one last time for the year, I’ll remind you to always, under every circumstance, vote democrat.