Dear Fmr. Senator Edwards,





I want to begin by thanking youthanking you for tireless work on behalf of the millions of impoverished families across America; thanking you for shifting the political conversation to substantive causes like universal healthcare, a responsible strategy for Iraq redeployment, and combating our nations poverty; and thanking you for conducting yourself, throughout this long and arduous campaign, with the upmost statesmanship. Your party and your country owe you a debt of gratitude.





As a twenty-something Democrat, Im just beginning to follow politics, and up to this election, Ive always felt I was voting against a candidate, rather than for a candidate. Though it is indeed early in my political life, I feel an energy and potential within our party that can challenge the entrenched interests of Washington and change the status quo.





My fear, however, is that our window of promise is closing. As the campaign has dragged on and rhetoric has, correspondingly, ratcheted up, I see our party cleaving between Hillary and Barack. I can feel a malaise growing in this gap and I worry that it will leave our party divided and vulnerable against or common opponent. Perhaps more concerning, Im worried that with each day that we bloody one another, we allow John McCains mythology to take root in public psyche, unchallenged.


This is why I ask of you now, at this historic juncture, to provide one more selfless service: to endorse Barack Obama.





I do not seek to denigrate Hillary Clinton. Nor do I wish to diminish her vast public service or call into question her ability to win the presidency. Rather, I think at this moment in our countrys history, Barack is our finest possible candidate, and, by no small omission, bares the closest semblance to your candidacy. His willingness to tackle entrenched corporate interests is crucial for energy policy reform; his refusal to accept money from corporate lobbyists liberates him to take the side of the common man and address poverty with fewer strings attached; and his healthcare plan, while less comprehensive than your own, offers a great stepping stone towards universal coverage, as a plan without a mandate is, for better or worse, more palatable to the other side of the aisle whose help we need to pass any comprehensive legislation. And I believe that its his ability to reach across that aisle, to listen to the other sides of the debate, and to see merit in oppositional arguments, that will allow him to build consensus and bring about meaningful change.





Perhaps most enticing, a Barack candidacy could offer the Democratic vision of Ronald Reagan. As much as I admire Hillary Clinton, her service to the country, and her legislative accomplishments, a Clinton candidacy fails to address the simple question: Whats next for the Democratic Party? If we nominate Hillary Clinton, I will have only known one Democratic presidential family in my lifetime. What comes next? Who fills the Clinton void in 2012 or 2016? Barack Obama has already drawn record Independent and Republican support and by doing so in the subsequent election, he could broaden our partys base, recode the electoral map, and spread our common ideals for future Democratic leadership.





It is in this hope, be it an audacious one, that I ask you to lead once more; help us avoid a campaign that trudges into the summer; help us prevent the self-injurious squabbling that makes whomever wins the nomination more susceptible to Republican assault; help us recapture the energy and optimism on which this campaign began. Please endorse Barack Obama for president.