The most important election in a century! There has never been a more definitive choice for president. The country is polarized and fighting against each other. The very survival of our country, not to mention our standing in the world, is at stake. All rhetoric we have heard in this election for president. Then why are our choices so meager? What is the real difference between these two candidates, and what do we have to fear from a likely Bush presidency?

Beyond the hype, I really don’t see a lot of difference between what these two candidates for president will do when they are elected. We place so much emphasis on the President of the United States, who is really just the CEO of our country. The work and the accomplishments of this country hinge on the makeup of Congress. They are the ones that make law and affect policy at the federal level. It is not likely that any number of Congressional seats will change this November.

One of the most important matters that will come before both the president and Congress in the next election is the selection of replacement Supreme Court justices. Justice Rehnquist may even step down before the election is decided. Democrats have proven extremely effective in blocking hundreds of judicial appointments, refusing to allow them to come to a vote. With the Senate so evenly divided, President Bush will not be able to get any appointment to a vote that would act more conservatively than the current status of the court. In fact, any replacement for Justice Rehnquist would likely be less conservative and other more liberal judges won’t likely resign during a Bush presidency.

The Supreme Court will likely be the venue of any changes to “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, marriage equality and abortion issues. Congress and any president wouldn’t have the guts to press social issues in this political climate. They will leave it to the courts to force those issues upon us and decide them in the sanitary atmosphere of a courtroom. Even if Congress wanted to act on marriage equality or abortion, it would need to be done with a constitutional amendment, which would seem to have less chance under the new Congress than in the current. We can’t rely on elected officials to make dramatic changes on social issues; those gains are almost always made in courts.

Conservative appointees have seen President Bush’s endorsement of the Federal Marriage Amendment as an opportunity to make changes to policy that affect federal departments of government. Appointees in a Bush lame-duck presidency may be bolder in trying to roll back policy-based protections. Log Cabin Republicans and other groups have been successful in fighting these flare-ups and forcing the administration to address these concerns. Other groups may join in that fight, should it become widespread, keeping these changes from affecting us.

Many Bush supporters feel that national security is the crucial issue that must decide this election. Neither candidate will be 100-percent effective at stopping terrorism. President Bush is already leading the war on terror and it may be most effective to be consistent and allow him to continue that fight. Neither will want to jeopardize our safety and security. Both will have the best experts and consultants at their side to make sure that we do everything we can to avoid another terrorist attack on our soil. Beyond the rhetoric, it’s really a choice of two ways of accomplishing the same goal.

Then there is the economy. We have made a spectacular recovery from a huge loss of jobs and possible economic disaster that could have resulted from the attacks on September 11th. That recovery has required one of the largest deficits in our history. The truth about the economy is that Alan Greenspan has far more effect on the economy than the president does. The expected results of huge tax cuts and increases in spending have caused less positive change than they should have because of the globalization of our economy. We have less and less control over our economy, more than ever before, riding the waves of the world economy. The choices for president just aren’t going to have much effect there either.

What real reason is there even to vote for president? It seems the most compelling reason is party loyalty. Unfortunately, the political parties really don’t represent our best interests. They haven’t fielded candidates that give us hope and leadership. That is why I am protesting both by voting third party. It’s best we send them both a message that they just don’t represent us anymore. Maybe next time the parties can field compelling candidates that will energize and excite Americans toward a better tomorrow.