For LGBT voters, this is an election year unlike any other in recent memory. And in less than three weeks, citizens will elect a new president. For us, the choice is crystal clear: Democrat Barack Obama is the candidate, not only for LGBT Americans, but for all of us.

We've watched this long, long presidential contest for nearly two years. And while Republican John McCain may have once been a maverick and "worked across the aisle," the truth is that during the general election campaign, a very different McCain emerged. McCain is a man who is a shadow of his former self; a man who personally may have nothing against the gays, but whose campaign strategy has depended on vilifying us at every turn, egged on by his anti-gay running mate Sarah Palin, who believes that people choose their sexual orientation. And it is Palin who has trotted out the tired "some of my best friends are gay" excuse, though, to be accurate, she mentions one female friend, whose identity is unconfirmed.

Most readers already know that Obama supports repeal of both the Defense of Marriage Act and the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy and supports an inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act. In fact, while in the Illinois Legislature Obama voted for a gender identity bill. Obama also opposes a federal marriage amendment and has come out against California's Proposition 8, which would ban same-sex marriage in the Golden State. He also supports the federal hate crimes bill. And when Obama becomes president, hopefully helped by a Congress with a larger Democratic majority, perhaps some of these bills may finally become law.

That's change we can believe in.

McCain supports none of the aforementioned policy changes, and earlier this year came out against same-sex couples adopting children, without even offering a coherent reason. The fact is that LGBTs are adopting children and providing them with good homes and strong family bonds. No one can argue that it's preferable for kids to remain in group homes or foster care.

Apart from LGBT issues, however, Obama is best suited to help reverse the country's economic crisis. During the past several weeks, as banks have failed and the stock market has plunged, Obama has been steady. He has not issued a new economic plan every few days, as McCain has done. He has not "suspended" his campaign as McCain said he did, although in reality there was no suspension. Obama has not gone from a proponent of government deregulation to favoring regulation, as McCain has done.

Obama's plan for ending the war in Iraq is sensible and long overdue. He recognizes that Afghanistan is where more troops are needed. He also knows that we're spending way too much money in Iraq, when those funds are needed desperately at home.

But perhaps Obama's greatest strength is his ability to change the dynamic of presidential politics. He has proven adept at raising millions of dollars from online contributors. He has created an extensive ground operation that right now has the ability to change red states to blue in November. His message has resonated like no one else's.

While we need more than "hope" from a president, Obama has shown that his is a powerful brand of politics that inspires people to support real policies. McCain, by contrast, has run an angry campaign that feeds into people's fears. And when those attending his rallies shout out "terrorist" or "kill him," we know that McCain's brand of political discourse has degenerated to desperation.

There is one issue on which we disagree with Obama: his opposition to same-sex marriage. But it was made clear to us at the start of this campaign that none of the major candidates would support marriage equality, and we hope that one day, Obama will see that marriage is a matter of equal protection under the law. Obama does support a system to give partnered couples in all states the same federal rights and benefits that married couples have.

Overall, however, Obama aptly sums up his support for the LGBT community: "While we have come a long way since the Stonewall riots in 1969, we still have a lot of work to do. Too often, the issue of LGBT rights is exploited by those seeking to divide us. But at its core, this issue is about who we are as Americans. It's about whether this nation is going to live up to its founding promise of equality by treating all its citizens with dignity and respect."

We endorse Barack Obama for president.