Voters Are Dissatisfied With Politics as Usual

If we must have political parties then, clearly, it is time for a new one. The Republicans have been co-opted by the radical, increasingly fascist and un-American right representing nothing but their own desire to wield unfettered power and the interests of their morally bankrupt megabuck supporters. The Democrats have become a vaporous nonentity consisting of disparate, equally corrupted self-servers and fragments of diverse “me, me, mine” groups.

We need the honest and courageous from both these parties to come forward and create a new center before we end in disaster. America needs a new political coalition that will represent the genuine well-being of all the people and the planet. We need courageous political leaders who will not be bought, who will stand for the greater good and refuse to bow before the extremists in both parties.

Michael Cuddehe

Laguna Niguel

*

The elephant and donkey symbols are outdated. They should be replaced with pit bulls and sheep.

James J. Foley

Murrieta

*

The abysmal turnout of voters, many of whom share my own disillusionment, is not hard to explain. When the people come to realize that having lawyers as members of Congress is the ultimate conflict of interest and results in oligarchy, not democracy; when members of the legal profession are categorically banned from seeking congressional seats; when we have an eclectic mix of honest citizens offering themselves for election; when we have statesmen seeking high office instead of the current crop of grubby politicians, then I shall vote again enthusiastically. For now, it is a waste of time.

Colin Marshall

San Juan Capistrano

*

When I was in junior high school, I was a Young Democrat and put up posters for John Kennedy. While in college I worked in the campaigns for George McGovern and Eugene McCarthy. I was too young to vote, but I passionately believed in the candidates and their causes, and I held their banners high.

In the past 30 years, however, I have allowed others to do the work. Although I have voted in every major city and national election and given financial contributions, the activism lay dormant. The latest election results should have been a wake-up call not only for the Democratic National Committee and politicians but for the rest of us too.

I hope that others will join me in recommitting ourselves toward ensuring that those things that we are passionate about (choice, the environment, education) do not get trampled by the conservatives swinging their banners from the right.

Judy Leytus

Granada Hills