For many reasons the presidential election this year is historic and unprecedented, including the real possibility of electing the first African-American US president or the first woman vice president.
But perhaps less obvious, or less talked about, is the fact that whoever steps into the White House next year will elect two to three Supreme Court justices that will have the power to amend the US constitution and will stay in office long after the 44th president leaves office.
"I think this is the most significant election in our lifetime and I'll tell you why," said Jay Sekulow, chief counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), during a GODTV Election Special programme on Sunday and re-aired Monday night.
Sekulow, who has argued numerous cases in defence of constitutional freedoms before the US Supreme Court, translated what appointing new justices means to middle-aged Americans.
"Let me give you the reality of what that means," the prominent American attorney continued. "I'm 52-years-old. The justices that are appointed to the court are usually in their fifties. That means the next two justices will serve probably for the rest of my life."
He added that the last two justices are also in their fifties and will serve, as long as their health permits, for life, while another set of two justices are in their late fifties or early sixties.
"So you see a majority of Supreme Court put in place right now [are] for the rest of my life and my generation," Sekulow pointed out.
Whether the issue is about life, church-state separation, the Middle East, or the war on terror, the US Supreme Court will have an impact on it, he said.
"So the next president will leave an indelible mark on the Supreme Court," Sekulow said.
