As we near the end of the longest presidential campaign in U.S. history, the polls indicate a tightening race between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain.

Some people still are deciding between the youthful Obama, the junior U.S. senator from Illinois, and the well-seasoned McCain of Arizona, one of the longest-serving members of the U.S. Senate. Time spent in making a wise choice is critical in a tally of historic importance and momentous impact.

We either will have our first president of African-American descent with an Obama win or the first female vice president, Sarah Palin, if McCain wins. History aside, the vote Tuesday could shape our government and the manner in which we live for generations.

We face a choice between:

l An inexperienced politician who rocketed to fame after a celebrated soliloquy at the 2004 Democratic National Convention.

l A Vietnam War hero who has devoted his adult life to public service in the military and as an independent-minded statesman.

Obama and McCain are different in other respects, too.

Obama promises change and throughout his career has talked about redistributing wealth. He describes a badly damaged America in his campaign oratory. Obama will pursue major changes for our economy, foreign policies, military affairs and social services.

McCain touts the essential strengths of a nation forged in individual liberties, free enterprise and a belief that governments which govern best, govern the least. He believes in capitalism, understands the high price of freedom and knows a strong America is a beacon of hope to a despairing world.

We share McCain's optimism about the future of our nation. We endorse John McCain for U.S. president.

This was not a quickly made decision. The world community almost certainly would embrace an Obama presidency. And Obama would achieve great things for the people of Illinois. Federal projects likely would come our way and the scuttled FutureGen clean-coal project would be revived.

Obama's other possibilities are troublesome. Our next president likely will appoint one, and possibly two, U.S. Supreme Court justices and Obama has talked of the need for justices who understand life from a variety of perspectives, including what it's like to be poor, or gay, or non-white or aged. That is a concern because justices must make decisions based on facts, not on their understandings of any demographic. We would be equally concerned if he'd mentioned veterans, or white people or students.

Obama's suggestion of spreading the wealth around during a much-discussed exchange with "Joe the Plumber" is another concern. From his earliest days as an elected official, Obama has championed the redistribution of wealth. His running mate, Joe Biden, recently dropped the middle class tax cuts promised by Obama to those making under $150,000 per year. Maybe that's OK, but the promise started at $250,000 per year. It now sounds more like talk than a real tax-cut plan.

Obama's liberal voting record, support of tax-and-spend programs and willingness to talk directly and unconditionally with our declared enemies say more about his presidential plans than his moderate-sounding campaign rhetoric. He sounds good, but past performance is a better predictor of future behavior than any spoken word. There just hasn't been enough of a past performance by Obama, who is only a few years out of a state legislative career characterized by voting "present" an incredible number of times. We don't really know him.

McCain, on the other hand, has many years of political and life experiences upon which to draw. In the area of foreign policy, McCain has a history of being correct, and the backbone to oppose his own party leaders. McCain opposed the Bush administration for not putting enough troops in Iraq; a point underscored by the troop surge in Iraq that now offers real hope for victory and stability in the region. McCain said the surge was necessary and has been proven right. Obama stubbornly refuses to say the surge has worked and talks only of getting out of Iraq. McCain plans to win, which also will get us out of Iraq.

McCain is better on the economy, too. He has a record of unwavering support of free trade, which must be maintained for our nation to prosper in the global marketplace. McCain is not President Bush, nor are the current administration's economic policies the sole reason for our economic malaise; the seeds of our housing crisis were planted by President Clinton. McCain is likely to preserve the Bush tax cuts, which allow business people to use their money for reinvestment and job creation. Obama will erase those tax cuts and create programs that require more taxes. Herbert Hoover raised taxes during a recession and the Great Depression followed. It's not worth trying again.

McCain is far superior on questions involving the military and our national defense. When Russia sent tanks rolling into Georgia, McCain quickly said: "Russia should immediately and unconditionally cease its military operations and withdraw all forces from sovereign Georgian territory."

Obama said: "I think it is important at this point for all sides to show restraint and to stop this armed conflict."

If our nation is attacked, McCain will respond as a true commander-in-chief - effectively, decisively and rapidly. Obama will pursue solutions, search for root causes and seek talks with our attackers as part of a global dialogue.

Obama is a remarkable man. He has a bright future. But he is too inexperienced as a leader and, therefore, apt to be swayed by the extreme policies of Congressional ultra-liberals, such as Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. A far-left agenda will be charted and the nation may move irreparably distant from the moderate positions held by most Americans.

That won't happen with John McCain in the White House. We believe you will have a better chance of keeping money you earned in your billfold. And our national security will be overseen by a determined, battle-tested patriot.

The next four years are crucial to the future of this great country. We strongly recommend electing John McCain as president of the United States.