George,

As a yellow-dog Democrat I will, of course, vote for whomever the party nominates. Before that happens I will give my meager sums and my uninfluential voice to the campaign of John Edwards. Here is a very brief statement of why he is my choice:

I preferred him over Kerry last time around (well, that wasn't hard, was it?) and this time I am even more firmly in his camp. His work as head of the UNC poverty center and his personal and political values put him ahead of the others in his understanding of the widening gap between rich and poor and the ongoing shame of poverty. I like the way his well-stocked mind and penchant for study combine with his intuitive judgments to lead him to the best foreign and domestic policy decisions. He addresses issues and people with a directness that contrasts with nearly all candidates for the presidency. To have a truly believable president would seem a novelty after these past six years. Edwards could, and I believe would, bring that quality to the White House.

Paul Gaston (electronic mail, February 9, 2007)