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Regardless of how the country slices or dices this year's presidential election, America is headed for big, big change in the next four years.

Barack Obama, if elected, will have us headed for an era of more and bigger government, rampant taxation, "spreading of the wealth" from rich to poor and socialist governmental programs the likes of which we've not seen in decades.

Change is not only inevitable, but absolutely necessary. Even a vague understanding of our economy tells us that. America is positioned where the need for tested, proven leadership is squarely on the line and our endorsement for president, therefore, must be for Sen. John McCain.

The biggest difference between McCain and Obama boils down to the one characteristic our next president must have, and that is experience. McCain has it and Obama doesn't. Obama's running mate, Sen. Joe Biden, has experience, and McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin, hasn't nearly as much as Biden. Next Tuesday, however, we're not electing running mates. We're electing the man who will lead our country for the next four years, perhaps beyond.

McCain has faced much criticism in this campaign for being angry, impatient and quick to call a spade a spade. He's not, however, being criticized for people not knowing where he stands on issues. On those matters he's quite clear.

The biggest knocks on Obama are that, although he serves in the U.S. Senate, he just doesn't have the breadth and depth of experience that McCain does, particularly with respect to foreign affairs. There's no arguing that.

The Democrats' most resounding criticism of McCain has been his choice of Palin, the governor of our great state for the past two years. As with Obama, Palin's critics are quick to label Palin as a small-town soccer mom who knows nothing of national politics and even less about foreign affairs. But she does have more practical, on-the-job experience than Obama does.

McCain has, of late, gone well out of his way to distance himself from George W. Bush. In fact, he's been quite clear about differences he has with the man he so often voted with in the Senate, and as president McCain would have to lead the country in new directions with respect to health care, education, energy, foreign policy and reform of Wall Street in particular.

McCain, who is unabashedly a Ronald Reagan Republican, has proven his disdain for the influence of special interest groups, is a fierce opponent of senseless spending by way of "pork-barrel" projects, and his long-standing friendships with Democratic stalwarts such as Sen. Joe Lieberman demonstrate his ability to work across party lines.

Obama, although hugely popular, has had his character called into question because of past associations with his outspoken former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, and former 1960s radical William Ayers. More may have been made of those associations than necessary, but they do suggest Obama has been less than honest about who he really is as a man and as a presidential candidate.

One more point about McCain's running mate: Palin may not have the practical experience of Biden, but she resonates with many Americans as few candidates for national office have in a long while. Americans relate to her just as she does to them. For Alaska in particular, Palin has put our state on the map, in more ways good than bad, like never before.

The bottom line in this presidential race is tested, proven leadership on day one of the job, and your vote on Tuesday must be for McCain-Palin.