1. The Supreme Court is a crucial issue in this election.
 
- Two thirds of the justices are over 70, and, the next President likely will have the opportunity to appoint three.
 
-Many critical "values" issues hang in the balance: ability to regulate online pornography, nonsectarian prayer at graduation ceremonies and other public expressions of religion, partial birth abortion, parental consent and other reasonable regulations of abortion, homosexual rights, and educational choice.
 
2. The candidates' views could not be clearer...and more divergent.
 
-Senator Obama has said that, in the tough cases, a judge needs to follow his heart, which places that judge's personal experiences, views and feelings at the center of decision making instead of the actual language of the Constitution.
Senator Obama voted against both Roberts and Alito.
 
-Senator McCain has said that he will appoint justices who have a proven or demonstrated record of fidelity to the Constitution, and has explained that a President must be able to trust in the judicial philosophy of his nominees.
Senator McCain voted for Roberts and Alito, and has said those are the kind of justices he would embrace.
 
by Leonard Leo,
Executive Vice President of 
The Federalist Society for Law & Public Policy Studies