It is common to hear people say “I vote for the person, not the party.” That kind of thinking is especially widespread in this election, where John McCain is old and stuffy and Barack Obama is young and hip. For a young person, it would be much more fun to have dinner and drinks with Mr. Obama than with Mr. McCain.

But that’s not going to happen. The chance of any one of us spending more than a few seconds with either candidate is virtually zero. In no sense is the personality of the president relevant for our lives.

Politics is a team game. A president chooses an administration — a lineup to run the government. The public focuses on the cabinet, but the choices go much deeper. Every level of government is influenced by choices from the top, and all levels of policy are controlled by these choices.

Everyone will be pushing for the same goals. These goals include the growth of government in all aspects, higher taxes and spending, expansion of government-run programs such as Medicare and Medicaid and other health programs, more regulatory control, more power and money for political allies such as the trial lawyers and unions, and less free trade. All the players will want the same things, and so we will get them.

The Republicans, the smaller-government party, grew government by a large amount when they controlled Congress and the presidency. Imagine what the Democrats, the philosophically big-government party, will do if they have this level of control.

If ever there was an election where it is important to vote for the party and not the person, this is the one.

And IU bet you thought that this would be an unbiased look at the coming election…..think again.