He will really have no choice but to go with the new vision and I believe in his heart he knows it is the right thing. Look at his statements: " I support space exploration but now is not the time to go to Mars." We aren't going to Mars NOW and he knows it. We are going in 20 - 30 years.

What are his options? Would he gut human space and expand robotic exploration? No and here's why: If we pack in human space exploration as a nation the Chinese, Europeans, Indians, Russians, Japanese and whoever else will do it and we will be left behind. We can lead or we can follow. I seriously doubt we will follow given the heavy reliance of the US Military on our space assets alone.

Given human space exploration will continue what are the options? The Shuttle must retire soon no matter what. Do we build a shuttle 2? And then a space station 2, and spend the next three decades circling the earth while other nations send humans to the Moon and possibly Mars? Will he completely ignore the findings for the CAIB? I just don't see that happening.

Kerry may give some lip service to the earth-firster crowd during the campaign but if he gets in the White House he will make the only real decision: Continue with an affordable, sustainable plan to move beyond LEO. Remember Bush saying he wouldn't do any "nation building"? Politicians can change their spots.