Last Sunday's Post-Dispatch headlines included a reminder that the 2008 Presidential Election is just one year away. Yes, there are barely more days to the first primary than there are shopping days until Christmas!

Whether you are as fascinated by politics as I am or you wait until the week before the election to decide where you stand, you have to admit that this may be the most important presidential election in a very long time. There are many swirling factors ranging from the mundane (a woman or black man as president?) to the profane (War on Terror and the suspension of domestic civil rights). Throw in the elephants in the room that no one wants to talk about like Social Security, health care reform, and the deficit. Gently stir with the weakening of traditional political power bases (evangelic Christians splintering of support, Hispanics trending towards Democrats). Oh, and a lame duck president... The issues are huge and we've never quite been here before.

By the time primary season arrives, I've usually limited my prospective candidate choices to two or three and hone in on their message. By the time the Missouri primary arrives, I've made my choice. This time I'm having difficulty coming to a decision. If you read this blog often you know I tend to the liberal side, even so I gave careful consideration to several of the Republican candidates. Of the Democrats, I like elements of Clinton, Obama, Edwards, Biden, and Richardson. Dodd interests me but seems more like he's running for VP instead. There are elements of each of these candidates that leave me a little cold too. No candidate will ever be perfect, but in these important times this choice seems even more daunting.

It was with interest then that I found an online tool to help with the choosing. By taking a survey, choosing how you feel about specific issues, and rating the importance of the issue to you, this tool provides a match of your beliefs with candidates of each party. While my results were not terribly surprising, it did point out that I was a little further away in beliefs from some candidates than others. Since I'm still deciding and gathering info, I'll keep my results private for now. Rest assured, I'll be weighing in on presidential politics a few more times as we go along. And yes, I'm still not-so-secretly hoping that Al Gore will run...

So why is this blog titled "I Am a Patriot?" To me, one of our most sacred patriotic duties is to understand the issues, decide what you believe in, and actively participate in the election process. To do something less seems to cheapen the country we live in by forgetting the sacrifices of all of the generations that came before. To neglect to vote seems like a thoughtless, selfish act when others around the world are willing to die for the right to do so. I am a patriot because I vote and believe my voice makes a difference.

Note: Written by Little Steven Van Zandt (Silvio from the Sopranos and Springsteen's guitarist) and covered nicely by Jackson Browne, this song has always stirred me.