This column has nothing to do with being liberal or conservative, but it has everything to do with the annoying celebrities who become ultra-political during presidential elections.

There is nothing more irritating than having Ben Affleck, of all people, telling me whom I should vote for. Excuse me, but this is the guy who has not made a good decision since he took the role in the movie “Good Will Hunting,” and that film was carried by Matt Damon and Robin Williams.

Not to doubt Leonardo DiCaprio’s intelligence, but I really do not care whom he is voting for either. The reason? His wants are not the same as mine.

I understand that P. Diddy is attempting to motivate the younger generation to vote, but he makes everything about himself. He is the 21st century’s narcissist.

It seems that the average Joe’s issues are not being answered very well. Much of the media’s focus is on which celebrities are at what convention.

Many people may say, “You should research each candidate for yourself and not depend upon the media.”

I totally agree. However, how many people have the time to research each candidate? Not many – there are too many other things in life that need immediate attention. Families and careers tend to take precedence.

These politicians use celebrities to appear understanding to certain generations. It is all about the appeal to the American people and not the issues that are at hand. Presidential candidate John Kerry and President George W. Bush are pathetic with the celebrity appearances at the convention. It is like name-dropping without really knowing the person.

While perusing through the Web site www.2004nycgop.org, the first thing discussed is the entertainment for the Republican National Convention in New York. The Web site contains nothing about Bush’s platform.

I guess the candidates like to keep the American people distracted with the hoopla of the celebrities and the mudslinging. How else do you avoid the nonsensical babble and flattery?

That is very easy to answer. Take the news for what it is – entertainment. Most news is altered so much by the time it hits the teleprompter that it is either exaggerated, downplayed or ignored altogether. Or, listen closely to the upcoming debates on each candidate’s issues. The debates will be televised to be accessible to most households.

Apparently, it is not enough that celebrities force us to listen to their overpriced music and go see their poorly acted films. Now they want to tell us who to vote for. Do not give these overpaid idiots the satisfaction of appearing to be intelligent.

Choose for yourself. Don’t vote for Kerry or Bush based on borrowed beliefs from some wealthy elitist who does not identify with your issues and principles.

Columns reflect the opinion of the author and not necessarily that of the Northern Star staff.