Why this election is so important

This year is unlike any other year. Everyone seems to agree about that but not for the same reasons. For some it is about electing a woman as vice-president or an African-American as President and these are historic reasons for sure. But there are other, more grim realities which make this a crucial election. Tomorrow one of the most exciting scientific experiments in history will start in Geneva. While several U.S. scientists worked on it, our country is not the leader. We are grappling with crippling national debt and a financial situation so severe that the government had to takeover two financial institutions to prevent what was described as "financial Armageddon".At such a time, we need to reflect carefully and cast our vote in a thoughtful manner. A rancorous, divisive and narrow approach would spell doom for our future. As some candidates try to raise the level of heat and obscure the real issues, here is a timely view of what is at stake. Let us take a minute to think about it.