On the attack

Re “It’s all about Obama, even for McCain,” July 31

As a party that publicly portrays itself as one with high “moral” standards, Republicans’ misguided attacks on Barack Obama seem contrary to what “moral” Americans would want to teach their children. Obama should be outraged that John McCain would stoop to such a low-brow accusation as to compare him to the ditsy, iconic images of Britney Spears and Paris Hilton.

Please show me how we teach Americans how they should respect our civil servants, or anyone, when you compare a man who is elected to the same office as yourself to a couple of party girls.

Perhaps McCain would like to see himself compared to someone who, like Spears and Hilton, doesn’t really matter when it comes to electing our next president.

Dan Roman

Tarzana

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Only the most ignorant American would vote for McCain based on his recent ads. His personal attacks against his rival make Obama supporters angry and McCain supporters ashamed and bewildered.

Comparing Obama to Hilton and Spears is idiotic and does nothing to educate voters regarding why they should vote for McCain. Is it because charismatic, intelligent Obama is more popular than an angry, out-of-touch candidate willing to flip-flop on his own high-road campaign rhetoric to win at all costs? McCain is more like George W. Bush than anyone thought.

Agnes Arnold

Los Angeles

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Instead of reporting on substantive issues, The Times prefers to talk about polls, fundraising and campaign ads as well as Obama’s self-adoration stunts such as his European tour. But polls show that McCain is in a virtual tie with Obama both in popular and electoral votes. Why doesn’t The Times mention that support for Obama dropped in some polls after his European trip, which the paper covered as if he were a victorious emperor being welcomed back to Rome? Or can’t The Times handle the truth?

Charles K. Sergis

Redondo Beach

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McCain’s celebrity attack suggests that he has nothing else to say and has no solutions for the boat-load of problems the current administration will leave the next. The ad reflects McCain’s low opinion of voters’ intelligence -- he certainly doesn’t relate his qualifications for president to his peers this way, which raises the question of just how important he thinks we are and how much he really wants to listen to us.

Hal Rothberg

Calabasas