A voter’s expectations for his party in 2008

Re “Democrats Weigh Risks of Caution,” May 31

The Democratic Party, which found a way to lose the 2004 election, is at it again. Although the feeblest Democratic administration would, no doubt, be less catastrophic than the current Republican deciders, this old FDR Democrat will not support a party or a candidate counting on Republican ineptness rather than principled ideas as the foundation for an election victory.

I (and, I expect, millions of others) will sit out the 2008 election if the Democrats ignore healthcare issues, the imminent collapse of our pension system, the increasingly obscene gap between the rich and the rest of us, the tyrannical program advanced by religious fundamentalists, the energy crisis and global warming issues, the uncontrolled budget deficits and the depredations of globalization, and if they refuse to propose a principled foreign policy.

MARVIN KLOTZ

Venice