Menefee invokes a line from the 1996 campaign novel Primary Colors to explain his desire to work for Edwards.

“‘I want to know what it’s like to be inspired,’” he says in a Southern twang. “[Edwards has] gone from nothing to this great American man. He’s the American dream, quite literally.”

Kinsey Casey joined the Edwards staff in New Hampshire last June as the volunteer coordinator, and has been the contact person for the Students for Edwards campaign. She organizes their volunteer work when in New Hampshire.

“They’re good kids,” she says of the Harvard volunteers. “They’re not just doing this for their resume.”

Like the rest of the New Hampshire staffers, Casey, 24, will be relocated to another primary at the end of the month.

“It must be sad,” says Head. “You make friends and then you’re gone.”

At 6 p.m., the canvassers regrouped at campaign headquarters, which is located above a Chinese restaurant, across the street from a pawnshop and around the corner from Forbidden Fruits, an adult film store.

While waiting for the bus back to Cambridge, they watched a series of Edwards’ political ads in Kinsey’s office, decorated with a picture of a handsome teenaged Edwards in football uniform, his helmet at hip.

The volunteers they had seen most of the ads before. Frank had even memorized the lines.

“Why don’t we have the money, George W. Bush?” Frank drawled along with the commercial.

Though kids and staffers all agreed Edwards needed a more “presidential” timepiece than his current plastic sports watch, they still think he is “a very sexy man.”

Head had a better reason to support Edwards. “He’s the only candidate who makes ‘now’ a three-syllable word,” she said.

Cheers erupted on the bus on the way back to Cambridge when Greg Schmidt, campaign director for the Harvard Democrats, announced that the club is planning a trip to the South Carolina primary over intercession. The Edwards supporters broke into their passionate mantra.

“One, we love John Edwards…Two, he’ll win New Hampshire…”

—Staff writer May Habib can be reached at habib@fas.harvard.edu.