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Friday starts the 18 day voting period for the March 3 Washington presidential primary.

The sharpest divide and the most critical decision to make in casting your ballot is your choosing between the 20th and 21st century. Whichever party’s ballot you cast and whichever candidate you pick, make your top priority determining if the candidate has the vision and capacity to lead this nation, and yes, still the world, into the 21st century.

Now, as we enter the second fifth of this not so new century – 20 years of it is over – will you demand leadership both qualified to and thinking ahead for grappling with the new age we are already in? This is not about contemplating or planning for the future. The future is already here. The issue is, are we going to make it through the transition, through the age of scarcity and into a time of cooperative sustainability?

The status quo is a dead end. Reactions fueled by fear leads into a cul-de-sac. More walls and fewer regulations are window dressings, shiny objects diverting our attention. Jobs are not the main issue, though higher wages and getting people out of poverty are fundamental needs.

Democracy is a fundamental issue.

Candidates discussing citizen engagement and community participation are offering tools for resilience and stability. Candidates championing a free press are concerned about your voice and your right to dissent.

Whatever the age or sex of the candidates, are they thinking at the edges? Is their rhetoric as empty of nutrition or depth as Wonder Bread?

Are they fueling your rise to anger and blame or do they offer a path toward unity?

We all live in the future. Your children and grandchildren will grow their families there. Best if each of us is seeking leadership that tells you the path is rocky, but the route is not so much uncertain as it necessarily leads over a treacherous stretch. Leadership at every level best serves us when advocating traveling together to arrive at a destination that can be joyous, peaceful and shared. Joy. Anyone who can lead us toward joy needs to be paid attention to.

Best that they also tell you we are not traveling that path today and are not discussing the journey or our necessary preparations for it.

Best that you prepare for the March 3 primary by scrutinizing the candidates closely.

When we finally arrive in the 21st century, it will either be very cool or very hot.

The potential is vast. Your presidential ballot choice is a small but critical mark toward our shared future. – ken stern