Primary Vote

Re “McCain Swamps Bush as Gore Edges Bradley,” Feb. 2:

In 1996 Pat Buchanan, the archconservative, won the nod in the Republican primary in New Hampshire. In 2000 John McCain, the archmoderate, won. The only consistency here is that the front-runners take a drubbing in that state.

Could this be because the population of that small state knows that the only way to get themselves blanket national media attention is to vote contrary to the national trend? Are we to understand that an electoral population the size of West Covina really has an impact on national politics?

STEVE REICH

Oxnard

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George W. Bush has been correctly sized up by the people of New Hampshire as a turkey. Cross him off the list. McCain is no turkey, but, as far as the presidency goes, he is entirely unelectable.

So in light of the fact that the Democrats have no one who is spectacular in the hunt, it would appear that the Republican Party is sticking to its 12-year plan for presidential elections: Remove shoe; place foot in elevated position; take aim; fire.

DAN JENSEN

San Clemente

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Oh, New Hampshire, the Granite State of purple finches and white birch trees; poor George W. has slipped on your uneven valleys and fallen on his knees, while a better man has scaled your 86-peak presidential range. I’m speaking of that sweet, sweet fighter, Sugar Ray McCain; America and Republicans are ready for more town halls, reform and change.

MIKE NALLY

Anaheim

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You report that McCain is coming to California to politick and [his communications director] Dan Schnur is leading the way. It will be interesting to see how Pete Wilson’s Schnur affects the Latino view of McCain. I was with McCain until they put Schnur’s face and racist strategies in my face.

STEVEN VALDIVIA

Whittier

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Last week Al Gore received 66% of the vote in Iowa. This week in New Hampshire he received 50% of the vote. If this was my campaign, I would be very concerned with the direction this campaign is going.

Now, if we can get the press to stop being cheerleaders and report factually on the events we might be making progress.

BARRY LEVY

Redondo Beach

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The Times, along with the rest of the media, trumpets the story easiest to sell, instead of the story with the most importance. While breathlessly shilling for the electoral horse race between all the Tweedledums and Tweedledumbers, the media seem to ignore the biggest threat to our republic since the Civil War: The great majority of Americans feel disenfranchised from the political process and will not vote.

Is anyone listening?

The majority of Americans see no significant difference--except on abortion--between all the candidates, Republican and Democrat. The reason: because there is none.

We are a nation of 270 million people. Many of us have diverse views, but have no way to voice them. Is this not an aspect of the election story that is worth examining?

RONALD RUBIN

Topanga