Only the future will be able to really say how important it was, but, right now, because of all the elements, it does seem extremely important.

Every election is the election of our life times. However this one does have major issues that need to be adressed. Like a withdrawl from Iraq. Alternative fuels, and a decrease on foreign oil dependencies.

I think every generation feels like what it's going through is the most important simply because that's all they know. It's just something that comes of living in the present, I guess. I hear people talk about how much harder things are now and how trying the times are, but there are always trials and tribulations. It's not new. My life feels stressful to me, but I'm not living in the Stone Age or dealing with an epidemic of the bubonic plague. I think making this election important might be a way to make the experiences we're experiencing more relevant and meaningful. There have been a LOT of important elections and there are going to be others, maybe even ones we'll witness. Saying this one is is more critical seems like a way of saying this generation and its choices matter, and they do. What we do will define us, but it's not like other elections or events are diminished by it. Anyway, that's how I feel about it.

I doubt it but everything is in hindsight. We will need to filter the upcoming election and revisit it in 20,30,50 years to find the historic implications. We don't know what major future events is in store for us (another World War, another great depression, natural disaster, nuclear warfare, etc) and what decisions/missteps the President made until it has already happened.

As the size of the voting population increases, elections become less significant and less controlled by the general public. Believe it or not, the presidential elections for the decade ahead have already been decided... at least from the perspective that the party of victory can already be assummed since there are economic benefits to alternating between the Democrat and Republican Parties. Since the 19th century, a Democrat Party win has favored the cause of small business and the average citizen, while a Republican win has favored the corporate enterprise and the wealthy. During the 20th century, the greatest U.S. president emerged when FDR won four presidential elections. FDR introduced "inclusive" politics, a brand of decision-making in which the White House channeled the voice of the people and experts in reaching decisions. The Rooseveltian Era, which began in 1933 with the inauguration, ended in 1969 when the Nixonian Era displaced it. Examples of inclusive politics are: Social Security, an end to Prohibition, Highway Safety, and the victory of WWII that turned the U.S. into a superpower. In the Nixonian era (1969-Present)decisions are based on "exclusion" of average citizens. Leaders make decisions based on their personal whims and philosophies. The outcome of "exclusive" politics produced some well-known examples: the war on drugs and war on terror; the wars with Iraq, AIDS turning into a pandemic, Reaganomics... What has made this election so important is the need for a leader who will guide the U.S. back to a land of freedom and a departure from corrupt, self-serving politics. Today, even the most ardent Republicans are putting their faith in a new breed of leadership with Barack Obama. The decision has already been made. The only act that needs to be carried out is getting the general public to the polls to turn a plan into a victory for the right candidate. Barack Obama will be the next president whether you cast your vote or not.

We are in the midst of a "Perfect Storm"..that is when many negative influences coincide and collide and combine into something huge, enormous and unmanageable. Whoever wins will have a job he cannot handle..so, whichever one you think will screw up less is the one for whom you should vote.:) I agree..this election will be my once-in-a-lifetime election..I'm going to be 71 years old..the next "biggest" would be to have a woman president. If a strong, capable, intelligent, knowledgeable woman ran, it would be my privilege to vote for her. :) Happy Tuesday! :)

How the hell can anyone tell? I'd say the 1st Bush election (farce) and subsequent appointment may have been that - and the US went the wrong way. +5

Here's my take here: Historically speaking, THIS presidential election WILL result in one of TWO important firsts in our nation. Possibly THREE: 1. We will have our first BLACK president. OR 2. We will have our first FEMALE Vice President. OR 3. One of the historically MUCH smaller political parties will come from behind and win out over both the Republicans and Democrats. Personally, I'm NOT putting any money on option 3. But the first two options alone WILL make THIS election stand out in the history books. And since these two choices are, in fact, in opposing major political parties it is virtually a given that ONE of them will occur.

It's true, when we consider all the damage George has done, and how McCain, if elected, is certain to carry on the same f'd up policies. Our economy is in the toilet. Rich a$$holes like Bush & McCain don't notice and don't care. Their top priority is to redistribute the wealth by giving huge tax breaks to the corporations and the wealthy execs who run them. Bush is still sending $10- to $15 billion EACH MONTH to Iraq. A tiny fraction of that would pay all the medical bills of every American-- but the right wing lunatic fringe scream and yell and call it "socialism!" It's OK with the radical right to borrow and spend, borrow and spend, borrow and spend, sending $billions OUT OF THE COUNTRY for dubious reasons, but it's "SOCIALISM!" to keep some of our own tax $$ for our own people. McCain has voted in support of 90% of George's policies. We just can't afford 4 more years of this economic disaster.

this one will because the bank bailout has become a socialist or Communist nation, the bailout has become not save the banks but save the equities and banks buying other banks and Government buying equities. What is it called when the Government controls the market?

Fooie! We're screwed no matter who wins, how could that make it the most important event of our lives?

I agree somewhat. The United States is not looking too good right now. We need a major change.

OK! plse click on my answer!