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"    Sandy may have put a momentary hold on campaigning, but the 2012 presidential election is on Tuesday. In the wake of the storm, it may seem like more of a distant memory, but now more than ever is the time for some clarity on the hot-button issues. We asked Rebekah Kushmider, who writes the blog Mom-In-A-Million, to sort through the rhetoric and shed light on the factors influencing her vote. In the final weeks leading up to the election, both presidential candidates are working hard to get their respective messages out. After three debates, countless rallies, and enough TV commercials to make your head spin, the conversation seems to hinge primarily on the economy. A lot of the back-and-forth sniping has been about taxes. Each candidate does a lot of bragging about what his tax plan would do while accusing the other candidate&amp;#039;s tax plan of being the worst tax plan in the history of ever. In a nutshell, Obama&amp;#039;s plan involves extending the tax cuts that were put into place during the early years of the Bush administration, but only for the lowest tax brackets, so taxes will be unchanged on incomes of $241,000 or less. Folks earning more than that will see an increase in their income taxes. Investment income will be taxed like earned income (instead of at a lower rate like it is now) and tax credits for the working poor would be extended.  Romney says his plan will lower tax rates for people at all income levels, and he&amp;#039;ll retain the lower rates on investment income. The GOP candidate also says he&amp;#039;ll limit some deductions and close some tax loopholes, but he hasn&amp;#039;t been specific about the details of that yet. In addition to the tax positions of the two candidates, there are a number of domestic issues that have been on my mind lately.  Supreme Court Appointments: Several of the sitting Justices are likely to retire in the next few years. The President will be the person selecting their replacements. Considering what kind of Justice each candidate would appoint to a lifetime term of interpreting U.S. law is a big factor in how I view candidates. Obama has already appointed Justices Sotomayor and Kagan, so we have an idea of the kind of nominees we&amp;#039;d see form him in his second term. Romney is far more socially conservative and pro-business; he would likely choose nominees that reflect these views. Healthcare Reform: Love it or hate it, the Affordable Care Act is the law of the land. It&amp;#039;s now up to various federal agencies to oversee implementation of many of the laws, such as reforms to how insurance companies treat policyholders as well as what is covered under insurance plans. Obama, needless to say, is on track to oversee total implementation on the original schedule. Romney would support a full repeal of the law and suggests other means of reforming the healthcare delivery system that gives states more power to regulate healthcare and insurance themselves.  Education: No Child Left Behind is another big program that the President oversees. There are many questions about the future of the program, like whether states should have to adhere to federal testing requirements or be allowed to come up with their own plans. Obama and his Education Secretary Arne Duncan have already offered states the opportunity to apply for waivers on testing requirements on the condition that they develop their own accountability standards for measuring school performance. Romney would keep the central testing standards and require greater transparency in reporting the results. Environmental Issues: Clean and green or drill, baby, drill? The president administers the Environmental Protection Agency, which makes critical decisions about our air, land, and water. If you have strong feelings about offshore drilling or fracking, this is an area worth noting in each candidate&amp;#039;s platform. Obama has been cautious on the energy issue up until now, doing things like reducing the permitting for offshore drilling in the wake of the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. He has also been a proponent of green energy, investing significantly in building green energy infrastructure and developing new technologies. Romney favors offshore drilling expansion \u2014 allowing states to take the lead in deciding on new drilling sites \u2014 and he is in favor of the Keystone XL pipeline. I see a strong education system and diverse energy infrastructure as key elements in building a strong future for the whole nation. Nevertheless, a big part of my vote is decided on personal lines. As a mom, my biggest concern is always the health of my kids. I&amp;#039;m a big fan of Obama&amp;#039;s Affordable Care Act because it mandates that by 2014, insurers won&amp;#039;t be allowed to turn any of us away for preexisting conditions. Between my son&amp;#039;s history of ear infections, my husband&amp;#039;s asthma, and a couple of scary Pap test results in my past, none of us could easily obtain insurance if we lost coverage through an employer. The President&amp;#039;s plan allows me to stop worrying about being one pink slip away from being uninsured. Knowing that I can always take care of my kids&amp;#039; health needs is priceless to me, and it&amp;#039;s why I&amp;#039;ll be casting a vote for a second Obama term in November. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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