Westen, I'd like to respond to your comments on an "it's just me" basis...

First of all, in the short time I've known Jerry Vergatos and with the limited exposure I've had with him, it is very clear to me that he is an outstanding person and if David were not running against him he would certainly have my support and endorsement. To your point, though, I would also say that if anyone else but David were to run against Jerry, I would have held back my endorsement until the nomination period had closed. My getting behind David was absolutely not meant to reflect ANY negativity toward Jerry, and I look forward to seeing their respective campaigns and conversations. A civilized election will be a refreshing change ;-)

That said, however, David is a special person vis-a-vis our organization and hobby, and I truly believe that he DESERVES the opportunity to lead the Club. He has an extraordinary profile within our hobby in that he is universally known and respected. Having worked with him as closely as anybody for many years and being a close friend as well, I can say that he is a man of unparalleled intelligence and integrity and these are very valuable commodities for the job. He has worked tirelessly for the Club and the hobby for many years, and I think that those, too, are important to recognize. On a related note, there is yet another important aspect to consider, which is institutional knowledge and continuity. David has been a member of the Board of Directors for years and, as such, is very familiar with all of the issues that confront the Club on a consistent basis. Although there is certainly nothing wrong with voting out incumbents, per se, there is a definite advantage in keeping them in office, assuming that they work well with the people they need to, which David certainly does.

As for my similar endorsement of Mr. Bedo, everything above goes for him as well. Where he might be marginally less well-known than David, everyone recognizes that he has also been a tireless worker and giver of his time for the Club through the years. Since he also happens to be another of my closest friends in the hobby, and since I've worked with him when he was previously a member of the BoD, I would support Steve regardless of whom he was running against, so I make no apologies about jumping the gun with my early endorsement of him either.