Earlier this year, one of my teachers gave a quiz on current events. An early question, “Name two Republican presidential candidates,” was met with shocked outcry and labored groaning.

I was reminded of this last week when a nonscientific Northern Star poll revealed that this trend extends beyond a handful of my classmates. It appears as though most people aren’t familiar with who’s running, outside of the big names: Clinton, Obama and Giuliani.

It’s partially understandable, I suppose. The election is more than a year away, the field is crowded and there are a lot of good shows on TV this fall. And who wants to get their hopes up getting attached to someone who doesn’t stand a chance at victory? Cubs fans have had enough of that this year.

I know quite a few people who say, ‘I don’t follow politics,’ with the same level of self-righteousness that one would usually reserve for, ‘I don’t molest children.’ And though politics can be a dirty business, it’s also very necessary.

No two people are exactly alike, but right now, with nearly 20 candidates out there (and a few more still toying with the idea of running), chances are good that you could find someone whose political views mirror your own – a custom candidate who matches you as well as your hot-pink iPod or your collection of antique handguns.

And if you pay attention now, donate money, volunteer with their campaign or simply get the word out, you might be able to give them the boost they need to be your candidate in 2008.

But who should be most interested? Here are groups that should be following these early stages of the election very closely.

Christians: The current Republican frontrunner is Rudy Giuliani, who was a Democrat until 1980. He’s been married three times, supports gay rights and is opposed to any abortion bans. As a result, many conservative Christian groups have recently announced that if Giuliani wins the nomination, they’ll be throwing their support to the Democratic candidates, because at that point, there won’t be much difference between them.

Democrats: Right now, CNN’s polls have Hillary Clinton leading the Democratic race with 39% of the vote, well ahead of Barack Obama. The media is preaching that Clinton will wrap up the nomination with little difficulty, but remember: At this point during the last election, Howard Dean was the frontrunner by a whopping majority and John Kerry was a distant third, eating Wesley Clark’s dust. Democratic races have a tendency toward chaos, and it may be wise to familiarize yourself with some of the second-tier players so that it’s less of a shock when they win the nomination.

Able-bodied men between 18 and 25, also known as “draft age:” Bush and Cheney are starting to get that look in their eyes when they talk about Iran, possibly thinking that after Afghanistan and Iraq, the third time’s the charm. You may wish to familiarize yourself with all the candidates, possibly to find the one who wants us out of the Middle East as fast as possible.

Republicans, gays, scientists, women, atheists, people with Parkinson’s disease, people who play video games, blacks, immigrants and people who drive: There are acres of hot-button issues this election, such as illegal immigration, stem-cell research, abortion, gay marriage, prayer in school, age restrictions on video games, alternative fuel sources, taxes or the simple question of whether or not this country is ready to elect a woman or a minority to the presidency. You may be in favor of stem-cell research but against abortion. You may be in favor of prayer in school and gay marriage.

Lechers: Elizabeth Kucinich, wife of Democratic hobbit-impersonator Dennis Kucinich, would go down in history as the hottest first lady since Jackie Kennedy. The problem is, Kucinich doesn’t stand a chance.

If you wait until the primaries are over to start watching, then you’ll never get to see her. Meanwhile, Republican candidate Fred Thompson’s walking around with his wife Jeri Kehn, who strikes a wonderful balance between political aptitude and Hollywood glamour.