The fence sitters are defensive about not having made up their minds yet. Here's some free advice to help.

Forget everything you've been hearing the last few months from the campaigns. They're just trying to confuse you. Focus instead on the handful of permanent -- or near-permanent -- changes the next president will make and decide who you want that president to be.

1. The next president will surely appoint several justices of the Supreme Court. You want Bush or Kerry making those nominations? If you favor abortion rights, vote Kerry; if you oppose them, vote Bush. Remember: these are life-time appointments. Long after Bush and Kerry are gone from the political scene their justices would be shaping the jurispudence of the country. (Chief Justice Rehnquist, after all, was appointed by Nixon.)

2. The next president will have to decide on the course the country takes in Iraq and the war on Islamic terrorism. Do you want Bush making these decisions or Kerry? Death is pretty permanent, so I hear. Think hard about this choice.

That's it. Don't worry about the economy. No president in 4 years can really make enough "permanent" changes to really harm or help the economy.