Most Americans are aware that a special U.S. Senate election is taking place in Massachusetts Tuesday. Others will be reminded by Wednesday morning media news reports.

Many Americans know the election is to fill the remaining term for the seat occupied by the late Edward "Ted" Kennedy. Some may recall that Kennedy, often referred to in the media as the "lion of the Senate," occupied the seat for 46 years.

Some Americans even know who the candidates are: Martha Coakley, (D) and Scott Brown, (R). Fewer know the candidates positions on the major issues.

Still, which candidate is elected to represent the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is important to every American citizen. Here’s why:

In many ways, whoever wins the Massachusetts contest will be "your third U.S. Senator in Washington," at least for the rest of 2010.

How the new U.S. senator votes on key national issues will have serious impact on you and your family; and the effects of their votes will last far beyond 2010.

Thus, if the new senator’s views are out of sync with your own, their win means you lose.

For starters, the fate of so-called health care reform could rest on the outcome.

Thus, no one should be surprised that President Barack Obama showed up in Massachusetts on Sunday in an obligatory attempt to shore up the Coakley campaign.

At the same time, while the president was in the Bay State, Obama political operatives inside the White House began developing alternate strategies to salvage their overhaul of the health care industry, while making non-attributive comments that they "expect Coakley to lose the race."

Those off the record comments reflect increasing worry about the outcome. Polls show the race a dead heat with late-deciders leaning toward Brown.

So, the White House political recipe at this point calls for the typical public spin with special seasonings including heavy sprinkles of lowered expectations and liberal splashes of Obama magic in the hope that Coakley can pull it out.

Clearly, Massachusetts voter turnout will drive the outcome; the result of which is certain to have significant effects on all citizens across our nation.

Coakley has the clear advantage to drive voter turnout on the strength of the deeply entrenched state Democrat Party machine. That’s supplemented with broad union support providing both money and additional workers to staff her campaign operation.

Although Brown has state Republican Party support, that pales in comparison to democrat registration and party machine operations. What’s made the race tight, according to the polls, is Brown drawing three of every four independent voters.

The important difference in the race, however, may well be those individuals who quietly support the tea party movement; and, if those citizens purposefully make it to the polls. That’s because those supporters overwhelmingly prefer Brown.

Also important: Tea party supporters cut across party registration. In previous elections many of their votes would have gone to the democrat candidate. This time, some of those votes will not go to Coakley.

The two big questions:

•First, how many Democrats will stay home? Whatever the number, that cuts the Coakley vote total; and

•Second, how many Democrats and Independents show up at the polls and purposefully cast their vote for Brown? Those individual citizens will decide who wins today’s special election in Massachusetts.

They will also decide who will be your third U.S. senator.

Richard Olivastro is president of Olivastro Communications, a professional member of the National Speakers Association and founder of Citizens For Change. He can be reached at Rich@Olivastro.NET or 877.RichSpeaks.

Boston Tea Party - 2010!

Scott Brown was elected to federal office with broad independent support in Massachusetts. Citing that the seat he would take in Washington was “the people’s seat”, ‘your’ 3rd U.S. Senator challenged entrenched incumbents stating, “One thing is clear, voters do not want the trillion-dollar health care bill that is being forced on the American people. This bill is not being debated openly and fairly. It will raise taxes, hurt Medicare, destroy jobs, and run our nation deeper into debt. It is not in the interest of our state or country - we can do better.”

Focusing on President Obama and majority democrats, Brown also said, “We had the machine scared and scrambling, and for them it is just the beginning of an election year filled with surprises. They will be challenged again and again across this country. When there’s trouble in Massachusetts, there’s trouble everywhere - and now they know it.

Scott Brown, America’s newest U.S. Senator - who will hold the seat previously occupied by John Quincy Adams, President John F. Kennedy and the late Ted Kennedy - described his winning approach, “I met with people, looked them in the eye, shook their hand, and asked them for their vote. I didn’t worry about their party affiliation, and they didn’t worry about mine. It was simply shared conviction that brought us all together.”