In November those Americans who can be bothered will go to the polling booths to elect a new president. Voting is not compulsory and the reasons that some will stir themselves to vote will be varied.
Politics is a huge attraction, but there will be many who make a decision based on other criteria - and these will include gender, race, religion - and thousands of individual causes that are dear to their minds.
They will not only elect a president but also a vice president who will be a single heart beat away from the presidency - and in this election that second choice is going to be a big factor.
Barack Obama is the first black man to stand for the top job with a good chance of winning. He is relatively inexperienced in foreign affairs and has shored up this weakness by selecting veteran Joe Biden as his running mate.
John McCain has an age disadvantage and also represents a political party that is on the nose with the electorate. He is a veteran politician who seems to rub many in his party the wrong way - but his maverick stance on many issues seems to strike a cord with many.
He has taken a huge gamble by selecting Alaskan governor Sarah Palin as his running mate. Palin's political experience is limited to having been mayor of a small town of nine thousand people and state governor - in which capacity she showed integrity as a fighter rooting out corruption.
She is a mother with a family and a shooter and hunter, a member of the National Rifle Association - and pro-life. It is likely that her reputation as a feisty female who makes her own decisions will appeal to some segments.
As Obama has shored up his weakness with an experienced running mate, McCain has supplemented his long experience in government with a cleanskin who may bring a whif of fresh air.
Whatever the outcome of this election there will be fall out.
If Obama does not win there will be a residual bitterness amongst African Americans who will blame failure on white attitudes.
Sarah Palin may be the catalyst to swing Hilary Clinton supporters behind her. Certainly her gender will be a big influence on the voting decisions of many feminists.
The next few weeks will certainly shine the spotlight on Palin - and it is certain that her life will be under the microscope to find any skeletons in the cupboard.
It is said that a day is a long time in politics. Perhaps this American election may bring the biggest change in thinking of the past half century !
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