Junior art major Dave Killebrew is neither lazy nor apathetic, but he has no intentions of voting in the upcoming 2008 presidential election.

The number of non-voters has been a major problem during the past few elections, but Killebrew has many reasons behind his decision not to vote.

“I believe that the entire voting process is a sham,” he said. “There are many reasons why, but it just seems that this election has been over-popularized. They seem like actors when they should be politicians.”

When asked how he felt about vice presidential nominees Joe Biden and Sarah Palin, Killebrew said that they’re “just as bad as the rest of the nominees, because I view them as actors too.” So much controversy has surrounded both nominees that their opinions can be overwhelmed in the light of their publicity, he added.

Killebrew also disagrees with the idea of voting into your party affiliation, preferring to vote for person if to vote at all.

“I would vote for person because party politics are kind of a popularity contest,” he said. “Either you’re a Republican or a Democrat or your vote isn’t counted.”

Although he has no idea as to who might win in the election, Killebrew is unhappy with the candidates chosen for the running.

“I think Ron Paul would make better decisions, although he’s not in the running anymore. I don’t know how Ron Paul didn’t get in over McCain just over sheer intelligence,” he said.

He believes that if not for the overwhelming popularity of voting by party, namely Democrat and Republican, Ron Paul would have made an excellent president.

Like many Americans, the economy is a major concern for Killebrew in this election and in general. He believes if the Federal Reserve System were handled differently, it would cause a positive change.

“It needs to be done away with,” he said. “We need to go back to the gold standard. Right now money is almost like an IOU.”

Killebrew’s decision not to vote at the polls this November is not unheard of. According to Lyn Ragsdale, the dean of social sciences and the Radoslav A. Tsanoff Chair of Political Affairs at Rice University, more than a third of voting-age Americans plan to be absent at the 2008 presidential election polls.

With non-voters and so many citizens torn on whom to choose, all that remains is to watch the so called “actors” play on their political stages, as Killebrew would say.