Bush’s Popularity Soars After Attack

Re “Americans Unified in Support for Bush, War,” Times Poll, Nov. 15: The last time Americans displayed levels of “unity, optimism and confidence” similar to those found by the Los Angeles Times Poll, we called our leader Ike! Isn’t that sufficient evidence for the stubborn L.A. Times to reexamine its distorted and negative editorial view of President Bush? Who knows? Such acts might improve the dismal responsibility ratings currently earned by the media.

Arthur J. Shaw III

Van Nuys

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During the presidential election I often wondered why there was even a question whether to vote for an incompetent, easygoing boob with little understanding of world politics or what it was like to have to actually work for a living.

Today I read about confidence in this administration. People are not paying attention. This administration would rather we spend literally billions in windfall tax cuts to large (profitable) corporations rather than spend it directly on making our water and mail safer, on making more vaccines and antibiotics available, on strengthening our medical and emergency response infrastructure. This administration has virtually no interest in developing clean and renewable sources of fuel and is still trying to push through oil drilling in pristine wilderness even though it would do absolutely nothing to make us energy independent. It would, though, make members of this administration and their buddies rich(er). This administration has decided that there is something virtuous in protecting itself and its friends by keeping Reagan presidential papers secret.

Yet this administration’s popularity is huge. So that’s why the election wasn’t a romp. People weren’t really paying attention, like they’re not paying attention now, not to what will impact us personally or financially, to what the policies this administration really mean to us and our future. Hurray for the Taliban fleeing. Now let’s wake up to what’s happening at home.

Jan Ducker

Sylmar

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Kevin Phillips has summed up President Bush’s dilemma quite accurately (“The Political Clock Is Ticking,” Opinion, Nov. 11). Bush’s astronomically high approval ratings are due to one thing: war. Large numbers of Americans are not supportive of his domestic agenda, including policies to combat the sagging economy. Like his father, George W. seems destined to be working with a Democratic Congress, come January 2003, and most importantly, serving one term in the Oval Office.

Bob Teigan

Simi Valley