As we approach the finish line of what I think is one of the most fascinating periods in this great American experiment, a Presidential election, it is clear to me and the team at the Madison Action Fund that we are literally a country at the crossroads of history.

We have the choice between two paths. And while some will complain that the distinction between President Obama and Mitt Romney is not as distinct as it could be (I cede that point), one thing is clear.

We cannot take 4 more years of Barack Obama and his policies. He is crushing this nation.

Gas prices are almost double what they were when Obama took office. 3 million more Americans are out of work. Median household incomes have dropped. The number of food stamp recipients has doubled and while our dollar continues to weaken against the worlds’ currencies, our ranking in the Economic Freedom Index has dropped to #18 in the world.

But guess what? 83% of those who support Barack Obama see the need for an even more expanded role of government. I look at the “results” of that political ideology above and think, “Really?”

In this election cycle we face something unlike what we have faced in previous Presidential elections. I know people say that every cycle, but we really are at the point as nation where we have to decide.

We have to make a decision. There are only two paths. Which one will we choose? Will we choose individual freedom and the free market? Or will we choose socialism and a culture that expects government to take care of it? These are not pastel colors or shades of gray. These are two distinctly different choices with two distinct destinations. That’s why Raz Shafer and I here at the Madison Action Fund worked with Ben Howe to create There Are Two Paths, a web ad that we are launching today, four weeks out from the election.

We have 28 days to get this right. We are at a crossroad. Before us lie two paths.

Which one will we take as a nation?