Campaign Reform and Ross Perot

I think the reason Perot stays popular in spite of the various zany things that he does is the fact that although Perot may be personally the least appealing of the three candidates, his message seems to be the most honest. Unlike George Bush and Bill Clinton, who seem to be offering up tired old versions of the “it’s morning in America” theme, Perot is saying something that voters seem to have forgotten in the ‘80s: There’s no such thing as a free lunch.

I’m going to vote for Clinton, because he and his running-mate seem better informed and more plausible than Perot and Stockdale, and they at least have a fighting chance of getting their program through Congress. But I don’t think that Perot’s message about the economy, especially his very good idea about higher gasoline taxes, should be forgotten.

DAVID G. BARRETT

Costa Mesa