Once every four years, the people of our country can make a choice. The presidential election season is in full gear (only 26 days remain until Mr. Bush and Mr. Kerry appear side by side on the ballot,) and at last it seems public attention is becoming focused on the election.

After a seemingly endless primary campaign for the Democrats, and the twin infomercials of last summer's conventions, and several rounds of negative, mean, even hate-filled TV ads directed at the so-called "swing state" voters, the campaign is on and this prosperous, great country is asked to have a discussion.

Who do we like? What do we want in the future? How does each party's candidates propose to deal with the issues? What do we want for ourselves, for our children, for our country? And what is to be the rightful role of the USA in the world?

Let us agree that one out of every two of us could care less. We know that so many people, our fellow country men and women, are engaged in their own pursuits, and intend to stay out of the process. For them, Tuesday,

Nov. 2 is just another day, and in their cranky self-centeredness they won't bother to cast a ballot. They are the cynics, people who take whatever advantages they receive from life in this great and wondrous country, and contribute nothing of themselves. So let's forget about them.

That leaves the rest of us- the 50 percent or so of registered American voters engaged enough to at least take the few moments out of our lives on that day to vote. Now recall that, just four years ago, more people from that group actually chose another man to be president: History shows that Al Gore received more votes than George W. Bush, only to lose to a flawed voting system and a split vote of Supreme Court justices.

But at the end of the day, it was George W. Bush who was selected, and he has had 45 months to show what he believes and where he has begun to lead our country. And based on his actions, voters can rightfully determine if they want to continue to go where we're going, or make a change to the direction that candidate Kerry proposes.

And what precisely are those two different directions? Well, that's where we have to do some work of our own. It's up to us to put aside the headlines, to listen only softly to the commentators, to cast aside the spin which emanates from both parties, and do two important things on our own: first, gather whatever information we can, and second, use our own God-given capacity to think about what we want, consider what each party offers, and make a judgment about which candidacy will be better, now and into the future.

That's why these presidential debates have been so significant, and why if you take your citizenship seriously, you're watching them. Forget about who "won or lost" last week's Bush-Kerry meeting, or whether Cheney or Edwards topped one another. This isn't a horse race or a prize fight, after all - it is a chance to hear and compare markedly differing styles and two vastly different political philosophies. Our job, as citizens who intend to vote, is to take our own measure of the candidates and decide not who the country will choose but which candidates we will choose.

The big deceit embedded in modern political strategy is the attempt to demonize the opponent and divide the people of our country. Both national parties are culpable; it's just that sometimes, one's better at it than the other.

But look, America, and listen: There are two debates remaining, two chances to see Mr. Bush and Mr. Kerry, side by side, in joint appearances, making their cases to the country. After that, there will be an avalanche of skewed poll reports and distorted spins, all under the cover of expert analysis.

But in the end, let's be happy that the final analysis is left in our hands ... if only we are willing to do our part.

- Ed Forry