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The big day is finally here - Election Day.

After today, the nation will know in what direction it will go. The finger-pointing, mud-slinging, name-calling and promise-making hoopla will finally stop. No more ads telling the public who is the worst or the best candidate to control the country. No more visits by former presidents or wannabe presidents.

President Bush is confident the Republicans will prevail and maintain control of Congress. His assurance in his beliefs and goals has always intrigued me. It amazes me how calm Bush and Vice President Cheney have been the past year. That kind of confidence is a mark of leadership.

President Clinton had the same equability about him during his impeachment proceedings. President Nixon didn't falter until the very end. It's this kind of certainty that Americans look for in their leaders, and rightly so.

I always have admired those who would stick to their beliefs until they realized they needed to be changed. Flexibility is another trait of leadership. Some people think its a weakness, but not me. I've always felt that someone who is strong and can compromise for the greater good is a person I want in government.

For all the pomp and circumstance, elections test the strength of would-be leaders. Negative ads are a big test. When I was a kid, my dad loved to see who would get in the mud first and discuss the quality of the mud. I learned much at the dinner table when politics was the topic.

All of my brothers and my sister are political junkies. When we get together and someone brings up the latest headlines, the fur begins to fly, for none of us have the same ideals. My family loves our country, and never do we shrink away from discussing the good and the bad.

My kids didn't get mandatory civics class when they were in high school. It was my duty as a parent and an American to teach them the workings of our government. They are young adults now, avid voters and political big-mouths.

My sons have a punk-metal band that depends on the political atmosphere for lyrics. If a song doesn't bring out strong reactions from the crowd, they feel they haven't done their best. My daughter is a manager at a popular restaurant on the University of New Mexico campus and a tenacious humanist, learning how to be politically active and diplomatic.

I wish the public schools would make civics mandatory again. It's important that future generations understand why America is a great country and how it was so different from other governments of its time. Maybe then there would be a bit more civic pride.

McKee, a wheelchair user, is a freelance writer and producer. You can e-mail her at chairgrrl@chairgrrl.com.