The primary season has been full of battles on the campaign trail.

The DNC vs. Florida and Michigan; Ending the war vs. extending the war; Gas tax holidays vs. common sense.

But one issue that has seemingly flown under the radar, yet one issue we hope to see debated in the upcoming general election, may be more important to a majority of citizens than anything else: the Supreme Court.

When the presidential votes are counted on November 4, the most lasting imprint of the decision Americans arrive at will not be a matter of policy or personality; but of the third, often overlooked branch of government.

Forget Iraq, gas prices and foreclosures: The next President will leave a generation’s worth of impact when he selects new Supreme Court justices.

Barack Obama or John McCain almost certainly will nominate at least one justice to the Supreme Court, with the possibility of three not far from the realm of reality.

And remember: A Supreme Court justice’s tenure outlasts any administration. Federal judges are appointed for life.

The seats on the highest court in the country will likely be vacant in 2013. John Paul Stevens is 88, Ruth Bader Ginsburg is 75. As the Associated Press reports, should either or both be replaced by a Democratic president, policy will remain unchanged, as these are each liberal voices on the bench.

But consider a McCain presidency…

The senator from Arizona has pledged to select conservatives - and he is committed to the reversal of the decision that has guaranteed a woman’s right to abortion since 1973.

“Roe v. Wade is a flawed decision that must be overturned,” McCain has said.

Therefore, with all the (nonsensical) talk of sexism dooming Hillary Clinton’s campaign, any pro-choice supporter of the New York Senator that would consider staying at home on Election Day or voting for McCain simply cannot ignore what’s at stake.

Some polls suggest that up to a quarter of the women who voted for Clinton in the Democratic primaries say they wouldn’t support an Obama ticket.

If these women - or any men out there that feel similarly - are listening, heed the following words by McCain.

“Elections have consequences. One of the consequences is the president of the United States gets to name his or her nominees to the bench.”

There are no more far-reaching consequences in the country than this. Keep that in mind, everyone.