ASHBURN, Va. -- As the presidential race revs up, political conversations in NFL locker rooms echo those in workplaces nationwide.

Taxes. Economy. McCain. Obama. War. Terrorism. White. Black.

And a choice for these high-paid athletes: principles or pocketbook?

"We're right in the middle," said Washington Redskins veteran Philip Daniels. "We've all got family members that are not doing so well. Democrats would help them out, but Republicans would help us out."

The 35-year-old defensive end sat in front of his locker not far from the nation's capital and analytically explained how his political color has changed from blue to red and back to blue again. Everything about Daniels' upbringing screams Democrat. He's a black male who grew up in modest surroundings in a small Georgia town. He majored in social work in college.

Everything about his income screams Republican. He's made millions many times over in his 13 years as a professional athlete, and the thought of paying higher taxes under a Democratic administration led him to vote for President Bush in 2000 and support the president's re-election in 2004.

"I used to be a Republican," Daniels said. "I wanted Bush in there. The previous years I've been Republican because of what we make, but this year's a little bit different. I think this year more guys are not even thinking about the income part of it. They're just really thinking about the economy and the country. A lot of people want change."

If the contest between Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama has energized the U.S. public as never before, locker rooms across the country are reflecting the trend. Players whose jobs are based on wins and losses identify with the wild swings of the who's-leading-and-by-how-much grind of the campaign.

The clear preferences from some athletes stand in contrast to former NBA superstar Michael Jordan's unwillingness to take a stand in the 1990 North Carolina Senate race between Republican Jesse Helms and Democrat Harvey Gantt, who was bidding to become the first black southern senator since Reconstruction.

"Republicans buy sneakers, too," Jordan famously said, though he later endorsed Bill Bradley's presidential campaign in 2000.

"We spend an hour a day talking about this exact subject -- in meetings, on the plane, in the locker room," New Orleans Saints linebacker Scott Fujita said. "I think it's just because there's a new interest in politics this campaign season, more than there's ever been as long as I've been following it."

The historic nature of the contest, which includes the first black man to win a major party nomination and a female vice presidential candidate, makes the topic more compelling.

"As a black male, am I excited about Obama being a candidate?" Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Vonnie Holliday said. "Where I can tell my son, who is 3 years old, 'Believe it, you can be president one day'? Yes."

Holliday emphasized, however, that he is voting Democratic because he wants "fresh energy and a change." In interviews, players overwhelmingly said their votes in November would not -- and should not -- be based on race alone.

"That's the thing that a lot of African-Americans fall into: 'Just because he's black, I'm going to vote for him,'" said Redskins defensive end Demetric Evans, an undecided voter who is black. "You need to know why you vote for him. You need to know what he stands for."