For most people, the presidential elections couldn’t come quickly enough. We’ve grown tired all the mean banter, so let’s get on with it. Let’s vote and put this behind us. Most folks made up their minds a long time ago.

Unfortunately, as we approach Election Day, the common refrain seems to be “I could never vote for ____________.” Instead of being passionately for a particular candidate, there seems to be a movement to passionately vote against a particular candidate. Doesn’t matter which one! Disdain for the candidates prevails.

As we near the finish line, there has been no let-up. The annual Al Smith Dinner that supports Catholic Charities in the Archdiocese of New York is a case in point. Traditionally a light-hearted moment in the campaign when the major candidates poke fun at each other, this year’s event turned out to be just another bout of mud-wrestling between the major contenders.

While both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump each had a few clever jokes in their repertoire, the two of them couldn’t resist ending their remarks without a couple of nasty zingers.

The same was true for the third and, thank God, final debate of the campaign. While there was some good back-and-forth on the issues, Donald couldn’t resist calling Hillary “a nasty woman,” and Hillary in turn resorted to allegations of sexual impropriety by her opponent.

One major accomplishment of the Al Smith Dinner was that Cardinal Timothy Dolan managed to get the presidential hopefuls to actually shake hands with one another, something that did not happen at the debate.

Sitting between the candidates, the cardinal referred to his position as one of the chilliest places in town.

What started out as a campaign of hope and historical possibility has turned into a heavyweight slugfest that has featured many below-the-belt exchanges. Mercifully it is coming to an end.

And what is a Catholic to do when he or she enters the voting booth? First of all, it is imperative that we all vote. It is not only a civic duty but a moral one as well. Catholics must make their influence felt in the public arena or else we will never be the leaven that raises up the level of society’s behavior.

Catholics care about the sanctity of life. Each candidate holds views that violate one or another of the life issues. Catholics take more seriously the beginning and ending of life issues than the general population, because it’s also clear that a life that is never allowed to begin certainly can never be protected.

In the final debate Clinton said, “The kinds of cases that fall at the end of pregnancy are often the most heartbreaking, painful decisions for families to make. I do not think the United States government should be stepping in and making those most personal of decisions. So you can regulate if you are doing so with the life and the health of the mother taken into account.”

“If you go with what Hillary is saying,” Trump responded, “in the ninth month, you can take the baby and rip the baby out of the womb of the mother. Just prior to the birth of the baby. You can say that that’s OK and Hillary can say that that’s OK, but it’s not OK with me.”

Study the issues. Pray over them. No one candidate fits all the requirements for a Catholic’s view of life. The only question is which candidate will lead America to a more peaceful, secure and prosperous future for each and every one of us.