Steve Cave, About.com's Guide to Skateboarding, has been writing about youth culture for five years. He considers himself a conservative (for the most part), but hates being called "Republican" because he believes the term carries too much baggage. He isn't too excited about voting for either presidential candidate.
Freelance travel writer and full-time nomad Andrew Collins, About's Guide to Gay Travel, has spent much of the past 17 years traveling around the globe. In his explorations, he's developed a keen interest in both local and national politics, and a distrust of dogmatic extremism at either end of the philosophical spectrum. He grew up in New England, where he developed an appreciation for complicated, independent political figures such as William Weld, Buddy Cianci, Bernie Sanders, Lowell Weicker. During the 2000 and 2004 elections he lived in one of America's most hotly contested swing states, New Mexico. He currently lives in Portland, Oregon.
Susan Heathfield, About.com's Guide to Human Resources, is a management consultant, speaker, writer and advocate of conservative causes. She is deeply committed to limiting the impact of government in the lives of Americans, and believes the majority of elected officials specialize in the business of getting re-elected. As a successful business owner, she is especially concerned about legislation that attempts to regulate the employer-employee relationship. Susan has twice served as the blogger on About.com's U.S. Conservative Politics site.
LaToya Irby is About.com's Guide to Credit/Debt Management. So it probably goes without saying that the federal budget and economy top her list of political priorities, particularly the budget deficit and recession. This election cycle, she is deeply concerned about the war in Iraq (ending it) and health care (more federal funding). She grew up in a Southern Republican state and now lives in a swing state.
Daniel Levisohn is About.com's News & Issues editor. He will be moderating the Talking Change blog and posting questions to the bloggers at the beginning of each week. He lives in New York City.
Lahle Wolfe, About.com's Guide to Women in Business, is the founder and CEO of a national nonprofit health-care organization. For more than 15 years, she has been an advocate for women's issues, disabled persons, and patient's rights. As a child, she licked stamps and delivered campaign literature during the Nixon/Agnew campaign. As an adult, Wolfe supports the Democratic Party, largely because she sees a need for dramatic change in domestic policy to help the millions of people suffering in the U.S. who lack affordable health care and a livable wage. She is a single mother of four.
