*The views expressed in Truesday are those of the author and do not represent Austinist as a whole. Thank heavens.* -The Editors

This is normally the time of year when I start to do my usual, reliably manic, fawning/pissing all over everything South-By, but I’m going to save those moves for next week. THIS week, there are far bigger fish that need skinnin’ and fryin’.

If you aren’t aware, today’s the FINAL day to go and vote in the primaries between Obama and Hillary. Seriously, if you aren’t aware of this occurrence, then, well, I don’t know how to tell you this, but…

It’s kind of a big deal.

A big deal on many fronts, to many people, for many different reasons. The results of this primary, in our state, will have an immense effect on the course of the coming presidential elections.

Well, actually, that’s not a completely fair statement. We’re talking about choosing between TWO human beings, neither of which is particularly politically different from the other (beyond race and gender). Regardless of what we’re led to believe, this moment is already the tippy-tail end of what has been a long and arduous process of candidate whittling by the Democratic party (as an institution), not you and your bro-dawgs. You aren’t given the option to pick who you really want (your drunk uncle Charlie, who’s a HOOT when he’s on the rum!) to have their candidacy funded by their respective party.

Most importantly: I believe no one should vote under the delusion that “their” candidate is somehow a dark-horse-running. Stop with that crap. At this point in the money-funnel, there are no long-shots remaining. I’m tired of hearing it. The guy who lives behind the Quickie Mart off Northloop and Avenue F is a long-shot. Whoever has already amassed millions of dollars in national funding for a presidential run is far from the rear of the pack. If there's equality anywhere, it's at the extreme ends of such spectrums.

So we're not considering apples to oranges here.

By the by, Obama’s black. Really? You serious?

So what? Sure, it’s the first time a person of obvious African American descent has come this close to having a job in the oval office that didn't involve a bottle of Windex, but again: so what? Every President is a “first” of one variety or another. The guy’s ridiculously intelligent, a fantastic orator, a man of gifted ballet on the brutal stage of American Politics, and he's extremely well versed in the ways of civil government (considering his time in service). Why is it so goddamn surprising that he’s up for presidency? Who should we have expected to see up there, a brooding, jibberish-speaking Mike Tyson? Everyone should be pissed that we haven’t been allowed access to such brilliant voting options FOR THE PAST COUPLE HUNDRED YEARS due to bullshit policies based purely on silly paranoia and grubbing fear. Don't let the potential "edge" he's threatening to cross be the sole source of your voting inspiration. Obama’s simply a sharp, valid candidate for President. But dude isn’t god. He has agendas and policies and weaknesses and bad hair days and hopes and cavities and witty come-backs and all else that makes us human.

Just like everyone else.

Hillary? Some story as Obama but trade out “African American” for “Female American”.

It’s not like women are suddenly intelligent, emotionally resilient, and industrious enough to run the country. They’ve ALWAYS been [insert any adjective you want] enough to do the job. We, as a people, simply suck at recognizing the talent of those around us. We’re too busy picking at unimportant bullshit. Like aesthetics.

So, all my WASP-guilt tears aside, I don’t want to paint a picture of bleak despair concerning our current state of affairs as a democracy and dissuade you from voting. Quite the opposite. In fact, I want you to consider those who’ve come before you, those who shed blood for you to sit there at your computer and read bullshit sprayed out from the tips of a politicaloon’s fingers. Whether you realize it or not, by not voting (even if you see the process as flawed, broken, or rigged) you are shitting on the efforts made by your predecessors to ensure your rights. Your RIGHTS. You have an opportunity to make them whole. It’s not guilt. It’s not obligation.

It’s opportunity. The only chance you’ll have to invest thirty minutes of your day toward changing the direction of history. WORLD history. You think some dude in Bangladesh, ANY dude in Bangladesh, has that kind of opportunity to adjust the world around him? No. It’s an easy decision, really.

For most of us who simply go to work, ruthlessly stab our livers, mow our lawns, and try to find enough time to fight off sleep deprivation, voting is the most impact you will likely have on the world you live in.

SO GO. Vote your brain. Vote your heart. Vote your history. Vote your soul. I don’t care, just go vote for something. STAY FOR THE CAUCUS!!!