Clinton Ratings, Achievements

Regarding “Voters Reluctant to Credit Clinton for Recovery,” Oct. 24:

What’s the surprise? Companies have been downsizing, making up for the ‘80s policies of implementing shortsighted goals to increase quarterly reports, our standard of living has gone down, we have less services, few people have the security of lifetime jobs, and for 18 months the press has barraged the public with President Clinton’s failures, even when they were successes. This may also explain the truly bizarre phenomenon of your story regarding people rejecting GOP policy, but inclined to vote GOP (“Voters Shift to GOP but Reject Party’s Policies,” Oct. 21).

The joke currently making the rounds demonstrates this perfectly; President Clinton and the Pope are in a boat, the Pope’s hat flies away, President Clinton walks on water to retrieve the hat, walks on water back to give it the Pope. What is the headline? “Clinton Can’t Swim.”

BARRY GREENFIELD

West Hollywood

* Your recent poll indicating that Republican strength in the current election does not indicate a support for Republican ideology missed the mark. Rather than asking if voters favor a return to the policies of the Reagan Administration, which have been widely vilified in the press, ask them if they favor a smaller role for government in American life. Ask if they favor less regulation, less federal mandates upon local governments and business, less ineffectual social programs and less taxes.

This year, in race after race, voters have a choice between candidates who favor an activist government and those who seek to reduce the size of government. The rejection of Democrats will occur because voters do not like their policies.

GEORGE V. ARIAS

Agoura

* If President Clinton is wondering why he isn’t receiving credit for the economy and his approval rating is embarrassingly low, maybe he should look at the reasons that President Bush was let go: “take-home pay” and “character”--the lack of both.

RENEE ANDERSON

Hollywood

* Working together to solve the problems of the country should be the goal of Congress. The polarization along party lines and the resolve of the Republicans to undermine President Clinton are not in the best interest of the people.

Too few members vote their conscience. Instead they are motivated by the need to be reelected and are influenced by opinion polls and special interest groups.

If both parties worked together important legislation, such as the Social Security Act and the Civil Rights Bill, would result. Then the elected representatives of the people would be worthy of the position they hold.

SYLVIA K. SOLOMON

Palm Springs

* As Republicans and the “liberal” press continue to attack Clinton by complaining that he promised too much and has succeeded too little, might I remind them that he has accomplished more good in his short time to date than Ronnie and George did in 12 years. Besides, Republicans do fear his growing list of accomplishments or they wouldn’t have tried so hard at the end of this Congress to stop whatever they could.

GARY S. COYNE

Van Nuys

* “After a Run of Good Luck, It’s Time to Discuss Foreign Policy” by Gaddis Smith (Opinion, Oct. 16) is an article which is a perfect example of why our President is held in such low esteem. Clinton gets blamed when things don’t go well--when they do--he had good luck!

RUTH PORTE

San Diego

* For months, The Times and the rest of the liberal media have been whining that Clinton isn’t getting the credit he deserves for his supposed achievements. On the contrary, I claim that he is. He was elected by 43% of the electorate. The American people don’t like being lied to; policy differences are one thing, categorical and deliberate lies are quite another. Clinton was elected in large part by claiming to be some sort of “New Democrat” rather than the socialist type rejected in most recent presidential elections. His policies have proved that his entire campaign was just one big lie.

In addition to his personal dishonesty and untrustworthiness, his Administration has been riddled with corruption, deceit and ethical lapses. He not only failed to deliver on his principal promise (health care reform), but appointed his spectacularly arrogant wife to form a secret task force to devise the plan. Since she and her pals came up with a scheme that was too much Marx and not enough AMA and was roundly rejected by the overwhelming majority of the public once its details were uncovered, his attempted power grab has probably killed any meaningful health care legislation for a decade. If it weren’t for the fact that the stagflation his economic policies will inevitably cause is just beginning, and for his moderate foreign policy successes, his approval rating would be about 25-30% (i.e., his core constituency of people who mindlessly support the party label regardless of who wears it).

D. B. WARD

Los Angeles