As the 2016 presidential election nears, it’s time to start decide who you should vote for. In a time where all politicians seem to be a little crooked, it has become increasingly difficult to decide who to support.

As a Republican, I am going to be giving you my two cents on who I think you should vote for. I won’t be pushing one candidate in particular, but rather giving my opinion on what makes up a good candidate.

The first aspect of a candidate that I think typically goes overlooked is the electability of the candidate. Oftentimes, the Republican party nominates someone who is incredibly right leaning. Then, that person doesn’t stand a chance in the general election. The party would be better off nominating a candidate who is more moderate. So in a general election, moderate voters could be swayed.

Another important aspect that needs to be considered is how much experience a candidate has. This may seem obvious, but it needs to be a noted that a solid candidate should have experience in multiple areas. It is best for a candidate to have executive experience as a governor, but they need experience dealing with foreign policy, which is gained by being a member of Congress. I also believe it is good to have a candidate that has experience in the private sector. A candidate who has experience in all three of these categories has the skills to be president.

On top of this, don’t be afraid to support a candidate who is part of the “establishment” or a career politician. Although things have been bad politically, it’s easy to support an outsider who has never been in politics (ex. Donald Trump). However, some of our best presidents ever were career politicians. Theodore Roosevelt got into politics when he was only 24, Abraham Lincoln when he was 25 and John F. Kennedy when he was 29. These past presidents are examples that working in the political sphere from a young age shouldn’t penalize a candidate, so don’t be afraid to align with a candidate that has been a career politician. Traditionally, someone who is more experienced is better. Take a look at doctors for instance. Who would you think is better at the job a doctor who has worked for 25 years or a dentist? Yes, the dentist has experience, but not in the correct field. The same is true for presidential candidates. They may have experience in a certain profession, but if they don’t have experience in politics it can be detrimental to them. Make sure to consider this when you are choosing which candidate to support.

The next item that I think needs to be considered is where the candidate falls on the political spectrum. Gone are the days that an ultra-conservative candidate can win a general election. The Republican party is changing, and I believe that it makes more sense to align with a candidate that leans towards the middle because they will be more appealing to all voters. This ties back into my point from earlier.

In the end, choosing a candidate should be about finding the one that has the views most similar to yours. It can be easy to be swayed towards someone who gets the most press, but you should take time to research the candidates yourself. On every campaign website they have a list of their stances on issues, so take some time to read up on them. With Republicans (and Democrats for that matter), you may find some views that you heavily disagree with. If you do research of your own and consider what I wrote in this column, you will be able to find the best candidate to back.