Jai-alai Afficionada Virginia Germino Sportswoman for Mark Warner

Dear George,

My choice of jai-alai for your photo shoot was somewhat quixotic, since I also came equipped for baseball, croquet, and field hockey. But jai-alai is a very fast game, played by swift and graceful people (unfortunately all of them seem to be men) who must both take risks and synchronize team efforts or lose everything. The specialized, custom-made equipment includes a basket (cesta) strapped to the wrist, and a ball (pelota) fashioned of very tough, virgin rubber. (The ball travels up to 185 MPH, almost as fast as political gossip, and much faster than Florida election returns, though with less poisonous results). With the right equipment and a winning attitude, the team can demolish sloppy, inefficient, incompetent players on the other side.

The game, which originated in Basque country, still has many Basque players, but has attracted team members from other cultures and backgrounds. It has translated well into Florida and Mexico. Some couch potatoes do nothing but sit in the stands and gamble on the outcome, but only superb athletes in prime running condition can assure a decisive victory. This beautiful game attracts avid sports enthusiasts and participants from different backgrounds and cultures, even speaking different languages.

I support Mark Warner because I believe he has the energy, intelligence, and humanity to lead a strong, powerful team that with the necessary equipment (campaign contributions of time, effort, and money) will WIN an election that's an absolute must. The combined Democratic ticket has everything it takes to make our hope a reality, and the victory will be not just for the candidates or for the Democratic party, but for all the people of Virginia, who have suffered far too much from the sins of Governor/GOP Chairman Gonemore's administration, especially from his malign neglect of our most vulnerable citizens: children, the underprivileged, prisoners, and those handicapped by mental illness or mental retardation.

Sincerely,

Virginia Germino (electronic mail, June 14, 2001).