Articulate Putin

Re “Putin Fields Questions From American Public on Talk Radio,” Nov. 16: Vladimir Putin’s thoughtful and articulate answers during his open forum on National Public Radio serve as a reminder that in almost every other country in the world the ability to speak clearly and precisely about history, culture and complex problems is a prerequisite for leadership--something that simply goes without saying.

By comparison, our tongue-tied, barely literate president is both an embarrassment and a mystery. How could we have elected such a person to lead us?

Dan Harwig

Irvine