Pol

Here in the US we also have an expression: "cop out." It means "to take the easy path." Simply deciding that neither choice is a good one is a classic cop out. This election may be one of the most important in the lifetime of many American voters, and we can't afford to have people taking the easy way out. For example...

Putting aside the candidates themselves for a moment, it is predicted that there will be two openings in the Supreme Court during the upcoming Presidential term. The political party that is in power will dictate the course of judicial decision-making for the next decade. If a Republican is elected we can expect reproductive rights to be curtailed, increased surveillance of American citizens, continuation of Gitmo-style imprisonment without basic rights, and the further use of torture as an interrogation technique.

Given that McCain has chosen an unqualified running mate with a far-right agenda, we have been given a preview of the type of official appointments he is likely to make in the future: the type that pander to the conservative core of his party without regard for the welfare of the American people. His judicial choices would likely be similarly disastrous.

In Barack Obama, Americans have the opportunity to elect one of the most potentially transformative Presidential candidates in recent history. This election will be a lasting barometer of our collective courage and intelligence. In many ways this election is a simple choice. Choose McCain and retreat into the "safety" of an idealized past filled with moral intolerance and fearful nationalism. Choose Obama and take a chance that we can move forward into the future with intelligence and compassion, remaining true to the American principles of progress both at home and internationally.

Or you can just cop out.