Kerry Draws Kudos, Jeers From the Sidelines

Re “Bush, Kerry Neck and Neck in Survey,” July 23: The sub-headline reads, “The Democrat’s lead is minor despite majority’s unhappiness with the country’s direction”; but it’s not minor, it’s early.

Do the math. Sen. John Kerry is currently two points ahead (more in other polls) with voters who know enough to decide before the convention has even started, but the same poll indicates “34% don’t know enough.” Yet. Plus it’s a fact that well-known incumbents rarely get many undecided voters.

President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney have not remotely delivered their domestic agenda to the American people. Since January 2001, 4 million people have lost health insurance, 1.8 million have lost jobs and 4 million young people have dropped out of high school. And the 9/11 commission just told us we are not safe. Which explains why nearly 60% polled say the country needs to move in a new direction. No kidding. How about forward? Sens. John Kerry and John Edwards will move America forward. And the only poll that really matters is Nov. 2.

Emily Stevens

Los Angeles

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How in good conscience does The Times do it? Two laudatory pieces about Kerry big as life on the front page (“Kerry’s Strategy Accents Positive,” “The Private Ambition of a Very Public Man,” July 25). It is common knowledge that the liberal Times is hardly disinterested in its approach to American politics, but actually campaigning for the Democratic candidate? Give me a break.

I guess good conscience and objectivity are ultimately irrelevant where The Times’ editors are concerned.

Sean-Patrick Lane

San Clemente

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Re “The Great Stone Face, Ready for Rushmore,” Opinion, July 25: Kerry is a serious, thoughtful, articulate, studious, cultured, deliberate decision-maker with the ability and perspective to effectively lead us through the ambiguity and chaos of our complex national and global issues.

I’ll gladly trade “shallow,” “shortsighted,” “subservient,” “reactive” and “good ol’ boy” for “stone face.”

These are serious times -- we desperately need a serious president.

Kristina Seitz

Irvine

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I have finally figured out the two-party system in this country. The Democrats don’t care who gets elected as long as it’s not a Republican. The Republicans don’t care who gets elected as long as it’s not a Democrat. The Libertarians and Greens don’t care who gets elected because their candidates aren’t going to get elected anyway.

Nobody with any sense would want to get elected (or go through the trashing they’re going to get if they run), so the people on the ballot are all nonsense.

Craig Arnold

Long Beach