The beauty of being an American is being able to choose for ourselves what we as individuals want in a leader, and appoint some

The beauty of being an American is being able to choose for ourselves what we as individuals want in a leader, and appoint someone with those traits to do the job.

But in order to make a decision that is beneficial to our country as a whole, we as citizens have a duty, both to ourselves and to our fellow Americans, to educate ourselves and consider carefully who we choose and why. This year, the fate of America will rest on the shoulders of either John McCain or Barack Obama.

Senator McCain has been able to prove himself throughout the course of the campaign as being much more capable of leading the free world than his Democratic opponent. His firebrand of a VP pick, Alaskan governor Sarah Palin, has also drawn a large percentage of undecided and previously Democratic voters, due to her extreme Conservatism and, frankly, fortunate gender.

The issue of Sen. McCain's experience as compared to that of Sen. Obama has been chewed to death by the media, but it is still a very valid point—he was elected to the position of Arizona congressional representative in 1982, while Sen. Obama first came onto the political scene in 1997, serving in the Illinois Senate for three years. In 2000 the young politician ran for a seat in the House of Representatives, and failed to be elected.

More importantly, however, are the positions these two candidates take on issues that concern the welfare and safety of the American people; specifically, the economy, healthcare, and the war in Iraq.

According to the October 2008 issue of Smart Money, "Wall Street economists believe by a margin of more than three-to-one that a McCain presidency would be better for stocks" than would Barack Obama. If elected, Sen. McCain intends to reinstate current president Bush's tax cuts, whereas Sen. Obama would let them return to their original amount of 25 percent.

In short, Americans whose total yearly household income equals or exceeds 111,645 will suffer the greatest under Obama, who publicly proclaims that he will decrease taxes, but less loudly states that the middle and upper classes will find their taxes increasing.

As for healthcare, McCain is sticking to the old Republican adage of "Less government is best government." He advocates the same basic system of healthcare that Americans have enjoyed for years: health insurance offered by the private sector (such as Geico, Allstate, Nationwide, etc.) or through the individual's place of work. McCain is also promoting a cash-back system for those who buy insurance, and would also loosen the restrictions and cut the losses for those who are tied to their employers by the health benefits.

Obama, on the other hand, would put insurance in the hands of the government, turning the world's best healthcare system into substandard care, just like Canada or the UK. All Americans would be covered, and those who don't wish to don't have to sign up, but the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center states that under Obama, government spending will increase by at least 1.7 billion dollars by the year 2018, in the healthcare sector alone. To quote Smart Money, "But if coverage isn't mandatory, many healthy people won't bother buying it—potentially making the program much more expensive, as only the sick sign up."

The war in Iraq is an issue that deserves an article all its own. However, what McCain and Obama believe concerning it is a matter worth mentioning. McCain, himself a decorated Navy commander with over 22 years of experience, believes that America should remain in Iraq until the job there is done and the fledgling Iraqi government can stand on its own against the insurgents, its own economical difficulties, and warring Islamic divisions.

OBama, on the other hand, wants to pull out of Iraq as quickly as he claims the country entered it. But if Iraq descends into sectarian violence and political mismanagement again, the whole Middle East will follow.

McCain and Obama differ extremely on key issues, as discussed above. There is a distinct difference between a diplomat and a doormat, and Obama is clearly the latter. Change is not a destination, and hope is not a strategy.

Support the candidate that will protect America and return her to the hands of her people.