It’s that time of year again, when the air gets a nippy chill, blood-sucking monsters mingle among us, skeletons jump out of closets and TV is abound with scary movies, specials and stories.

I’m not talking about Halloween — I’m talking about the upcoming election.

And what better scare tactic than Michael Moore’s movie “Fahrenheit 9/11?” It possesses all the great elements of a good horror movie. Evil demons. Unexpected twists. A mad dash of finger-pointing and speculating as to who the real villain is.

And — like most horror movies in theaters — it left me wishing I hadn’t wasted eight bucks.

I’m a liberal, and I make no secret of it. And yet I am ashamed to claim Michael Moore as a fellow liberal. I shouldn’t have to tell what this movie is about, but Moore makes his political alliance to the Democratic Party about as surprising as his eventual triple bypass.

And the bottom line is, Michael Moore is political suicide to the Democratic Party. He is the absolute personification of the term “political risk.” We’re talking about a sloppy guy reminiscent of Homer Simpson, who bumbles around in an ice-cream truck reading pages of the Patriot Act over a loudspeaker while driving around Washington, D.C.

If this is your idea of tactful and responsible political dissent, you may want to rethink why you are attending an institute of higher education.

In an election where the swing voters will decide this neck-and-neck presidential race, an embarrassing (albeit funny) movie linked to liberal ideals — and Michael Moore himself — is nothing but dead political weight for the Democratic Party.

While accomplishing the goal of making many left-wingers dive further into the deep end of the left-wing spectrum, Moore is also concurrently driving away swing voters over into the Republican end.

However, what is perhaps even more unfortunate and alarming is that we live in a country where a movie filled with exaggerated facts and conspiracy theory is the primary source of political awareness for many. Many people are basing their decision more on this movie than they are on the presidential debates.

This is an alarming red flag.

As American citizens endowed with the privilege of voting, it is our obligation — nay, our moral duty — to be well-informed when we enter the voting booths on Nov. 2. Picking up your ballot with “Fahrenheit 9/11” as the deciding factor for your vote is not only stupid, it’s irresponsible.

Ignoring the fact that “Fahrenheit 9/11” is full of over exaggerations and cinematic tricks of the trade, the fact remains that Moore’s movie is just that: a movie made for the masses for entertainment. To be a responsible enfranchised citizen, read up on where the candidates stand on issues that are important to you. Listen to opposing forces. Read Michael Moore’s “Dude, Where’s My Country?” and listen to Rush Limbaugh’s radio program and offer at least a moment of consideration to every other political analyst in between the spectrum.

It’s smart. It’s responsible. It’s what Americans have the opportunity — and the privilege — to do.

What is not responsible is having Michael Moore on “Real Time with Bill Maher” and zoning out on your couch while the two chat it out like old chums and stroke each other’s — how do I say this without getting crude? — ego.

Being an informed citizen, regardless of what party you claim yourself to be or who you are voting for, is about political dissonance — hearing things from the other side of the fence. You don’t have to agree, but you should give it some consideration. But you definitely shouldn’t count on hearing any form of that in “Fahrenheit 9/11,” or anything to ever come out of Michael Moore’s mouth or production studio.

Politics shouldn’t play out like a movie, nor should we base our decisions on one. This is our chance — and for many of us, our first chance — to have a true impact on the leadership of this country, and with great power comes great responsibility.

It is our responsibility to be informed, to be educated and to know the difference between fact and propaganda.

You can e-mail Chelsea at [email protected].