What is most important in the election?

Republicans are going to frame the election around, what else, national security, vis-a-vi, the Iraq War. By convincing the public that the only thing that matters is "American safety, and freedom from being attacked again" the GOP is going to continue to hold the wool over the American eyes. Sure, McCain is going to address pork barrel legislation, (he has staked his entire political career on it for 30 years), and he will talk about reforming politics on the hill, and how he has the experience to do so. Truth is, he's been in politics for decades...what has he changed yet??? All the experience in the world means diddly squat if he lacks the heart/desire/motivation to impose change. He has done little in his life to rewrite the corrupt atmosphere in Washington, with the exception of fighting pork barrel bills that is. On the issue of changing the way business occurs on the hill, I've got to go with the outsider, the guy as of yet, who is uncorrupted by business as usual, namely Obama. Hillary talks of change...but how can going from Bush, to Clinton, to another Bush, to another Clinton really be considered change??? And as far as lack of experience goes, I'll take an inexperienced but motivated candidate, over an experienced, typical politician (read: tells everyone what they want to hear) any day of the week. These issues are only the half of it, though.

Putting the Iraq War aside...this country has serious issues that need to be addressed. Our education is pitiful compared to other industrialized nations, just look at how American high school students rank against foreigners. Our Social Security System is going bankrupt, and there is not even one decent proposal in Washington to fix it. In fact, I haven't even heard any politician even mention this subject lately. We have porous borders, (Ironic, considering Bush is claiming to be the President for national security, and almost anyone can walk right into our country) and over 12 million illegal immigrants burdening the american tax payer in numerous ways. We have a medical insurance system that already punishes the insured people by factoring in the cost to treat the uninsured, but little attempt is made to explain this to those that oppose universal coverage. We have drugs to cure many ills, but many ill patients can't afford them. We send hundreds of billions to help other nations...but we still have Katrina victims without a home. We have done very little to steer the country towards energy independence. We have emerging super powers like China buying up American debt like it's going out of style, and a president that is happy to mortgage our financial future to pay for his invasions.

Point is, sure, America needs to be recognized as a country that doesn't bow down to terrorists...but we also need to be a country that is capable of addressing and solving its own problems, before its too late, and others must do it for us. THERE ARE FAR TOO MANY PROBLEMS FACING OUR COUNTRY FOR ANYONE TO MAKE UP THEIR MIND ON A CANDIDATE BASED SOLELY UPON THEIR STANCE ON ONE OR TWO ISSUES, LIKE IRAQ, AND ABORTION.