Since 1927, Time magazine has annually distributed an award for “Person of the Year.” This title is given to a person, group of people, idea, invention or almost anything else that “for better or worse, has most influenced events in the preceding year.” This year’s nominees include a wide range of candidates, most of which are not deserving of this title.

The Person of the Year (POY) should be someone or something the entire world has been affected by, not billionaires who funded the Tea Party, the editor in chief for WikiLeaks.org, or right-winged radicals who attract media attention with every word they say. Time has abandoned the basis the award stands for to choose candidates who have simply received the most media attention.

The POY ballot also features the Chilean miners, the unemployed American and the soon-to-be-demoted Nancy Pelosi. Using the definition for POY, none of these candidates should even be featured on the voting ballot — what have they truly done to influence anything?

The Chilean miners received worldwide attention for the months they were trapped underground, but this only inspired media attention. All the unemployed American has done is sit at home and complain the government isn’t helping him/her enough. And finally, the only thing Nancy Pelosi and her Democratic Party members have accomplished in the past year is lose 66 congressional seats and force an unwanted healthcare bill down the throats of Congress and the American public.

It’s disappointing to even see names like Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook creator), Lady Gaga and LeBron James on the ballot for an award whose past winners include historical figures like John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr. and Queen Elizabeth II. It does seem like everyone in the world has a Facebook, but what has Zuckerburg influenced people to do other than log on to their computers? Or what has LeBron done other than “take [his] talents to South Beach?”

As entertaining and hilarious as they are, the combined nomination of Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart is even unnecessary. It would be ironic if these two were to win, though, considering their fellow nominees are the people they make fun of on a nightly basis. But like just about all the other candidates, Colbert and Stewart are undeserving of the POY award.

Luckily, however, Time seems to be getting one thing right by more than likely awarding the POY title to a truly deserving man. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has stood up to Israel (and the United States for supporting Israel) for the “inhuman state terrorism” Israel is inflicting upon the Gaza strip. Erdogan has also provided aid to the Gaza area, but Israel constantly attacks anyone trying to help the Palestinians. Because the United States is a strong supporter of Israel, hardly any of these stories reach the U.S. media. Erdogan is attempting to create peace in one of the world’s most hostile environments, and he is more than deserving of Time’s POY title.