To the editor:

I am a lifelong Republican and I am a supporter of Barack Obama's candidacy for president of the United States of America.

Certainly Sen. John McCain is a good man, and he obviously has all the qualifications this country has sought in a president during past elections. However, I believe the country needs something very different at this crucial point in its history, and I'm confident Sen. Obama is exactly the right man, at the right time, for the job.

I attended Sen. Obama's campaign stop at Salem High School earlier this year, right before the New Hampshire primary, as a very skeptical Republican, and I left a big fan of both the man and his message. As he has many times throughout the election process, the senator spoke about his key campaign themes: "change" and "hope." I was impressed with how well he took what seemed at first to be just empty buzzwords and presented a true message for the future of America. He railed against politics-as-usual, but in a fresh way meant to offer hope rather than just opposition to the old order. His speech was inspiring, and I have continued to be inspired by his campaign throughout the ensuing year.

That is why I, despite being a registered Republican, am actively supporting the Obama campaign. And I am not alone. Sen. Obama has been very successful in reaching out to other Republicans such as myself, conservatives dissatisfied with the direction this country has been steered for the past several years, away from our true course as the world's foremost democracy and a bastion of liberty.

I firmly believe an Obama presidency is the best possible solution to the important challenges facing our country in the immediate future, and I urge my fellow Republicans to consider their choice carefully when they head to the polls on Nov. 4.

BILL NOLAN

Salem, N.H.