Contrary to what some may believe about me, I have never been particularly fond of politics or politicians. These feelings transcend government politics, and apply to the corporate world, as well. From my perspective, being a leader has everything to do with making committments, doing one's best to keep them, and being man (or woman) enough to admit when something doesn't go so well. These days, politics seems to be little more than the practice of covering up one's failings and expertly diverting blame toward someone else.

It takes only a few minutes of television news watching or internet blogging to reveal some very poignant examples. The current financial mess is one such example, as are both Presidential campaigns. The American public is now being lied to as a matter of course. In fact, we now expect that everything we are told to be an outright lie. Amost without exception, "news" sources no longer report the truth; instead, they feel the need to spin the truth into something that satisfies their own agendas. And the candidates themselves? Forget about it! They'll say anthing that will give them a better chance of coming out on top this November. It's disgraceful, what American politics has become, and it's left many of us wondering where all the true leadership has gone.

Regardless, we have the opportunity next month to choose the next President. These are challenging times, no doubt, and our collective decision will likely be one of extraordinary consequence for our nation. We have two completely different choices; two polar opposites, with two remarkably divergent agendas. It's up to us to determine which agenda is best for this country at this moment in time.

For me the choice is obvious, and it has been since the primaries.  In fact, I am so convinced that my guy is the right choice that I find myself becoming increasingly angered by those who disagree with me.  A simple, otherwise polite political conversation quickly morphs into a heated exchange. My blood pressure rises when I see a bumper sticker or lawn sign supporting the "wrong" ticket.  I can't watch the television news broadcasts anymore without developing a nervous twitch in my right eye.

If only I had the opportunity to make the decision myself...to bypass the entire election process...to ignore the perspecitve of half of America that is about to make a blunder of epic proportions and put the wrong guy in the White House at a time where we desperately need the right guy. After all, I know who the right guy is. I'm sure of it, and I won't even listen to others' perspectives at this point. If America would let me make the decision, I'd do it in a heartbeat, and it would be the right decision.

Surely, I know better than everyone else.

And hence I am reminded of exactly why our Constitution is written the way it is...why we must deal with the seemingly inefficient system of checks and balances that is our government...why we must endure an election process that often seems more like a circus that a hallowed ritual.  Yes, we are all Americans, but we are all different. We have different values, different religions, and different views regarding how our country should be run. In the end, it is our differences that define us. No one person, or group of people, determine what is "right" for our country. We all have a say.

On November 2nd, our country will choose its next President. A bit more than half of its citizens will be happy about the outcome, and the a bit less than half will view it as a disaster. But the real disaster would be not to have the opportunity to vote at all.

Get out and vote for the right guy.