Dole Names Kemp as Running Mate

Has the Dole/Kemp ticket just raised the order of magnitude of cynicism of our nation’s politics or am I missing something here? With nary a blush, Bob Dole celebrates as victory his party’s retreat from his own demand for tolerance in the abortion plank. As one of that bipartisan group who convinced me of the importance of reducing the deficit before lowering taxes, Dole now turns around 180 degrees, and I am totally lost as to Dole’s position on the assault weapon ban repeal.

I await Jack Kemp’s explanation of his current positions on affirmative action, enterprise zones and immigration--issues upon which he has been passionate. Is there something ironic about pointing to George Bush’s support of Ronald Reagan’s “voodoo economics” when he accepted the VP spot?

It is one thing to be a pragmatist, to bend, to fudge, to prevaricate, to be, in a word, a Democrat. But these are supposed to be Republicans, men of integrity, of principle, of probity and fiscal responsibility. I anxiously await their deeply felt attacks on President Clinton’s political inconstancy.

ROBERT B. SILVER

Los Angeles

* Dole’s selection of Kemp to run with him as vice president on the GOP ticket has no doubt cost him any chance of winning California voter approval in his quest to become president.

Kemp’s open opposition to Prop. 187, the anti-illegal-immigration measure, is still fresh in the minds of many California voters who supported the idea of limiting taxpayer largess to illegal aliens.

THOMAS P. LOGAN, Treasurer

Concerned Citizens Committee

Fountain Valley

* So Dole says Clinton’s campaign is sounding more conservative as the election nears. But Dole’s choice for running mate, Kemp, is against the recent welfare-reform package, against repealing affirmative action programs and avidly stood against Prop. 187.

I guess Dole realized that it was too late to change his platform, and that Clinton wasn’t available to be his running mate!

RAY GOMEZ

Los Angeles

* Dole’s choice of Kemp as a running mate was a smart move, even though it’s much like the bartender on the Titanic preparing an exquisite martini.

DOUG RALEIGH

Woodland Hills

* A solid majority of Republican Party members have always opposed abortion. On Aug. 6, a solid majority of the platform committee rejected pro-abortion amendments. But the minority who will not oppose the killing of unborn children and who advocate changing the pro-life platform are deceptively labeled by The Times as “the Republican Party’s moderate wing” (Aug. 7), implicitly categorizing the majority of the party as “fringe” or “extremist.” If the pro-abortion minority are the “moderates,” who would constitute the “left”?

Of course, The Times is not the first to depart from objective reporting in a deliberate effort to shift the American political spectrum to the left.

KEVIN CRAIG

Santa Ana

* Am I crazy, or does the idea of the party platform seem ridiculous and outdated, especially if it doesn’t even reflect the candidate’s own views?

ROB NEWMAN

Topanga Canyon

* Re “The Rashoman of Speeches May Doom GOP,” Column Right, Aug. 6: Tom Bethell writes: “There is no evidence in the reporting of the Houston convention or its aftermath that Buchanan’s speech hurt Bush.” I quote what Pat Buchanan did say: “It is about a socialist anti-family political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians.” My compliments to any organization that will not tolerate such blinded bigotry on television.

LES T. PETERS

Montebello

* The only one who can beat Clinton is Clinton, while the only one who can beat Dole is the Republican Party.

STEVE PIRTLE

Whittier