Romney in retrospect

Re “Open road for McCain as Romney steps aside,” Feb. 8

In another time, it would not be as important for the Republicans to have a strong candidate. This time it is, and Sen. John McCain is not the right candidate. His liberal to centrist ideas are a disappointment to me as a conservative. I will complain all the way to the ballot box, and then cast my vote for him. This is because the prospect of having either Barack Obama or Hillary Rodham Clinton in the White House is incomprehensible.

The tax-and-spend Democrats are unacceptable. Their stance on the war against radical Islam is unacceptable. Their stance on socializing medical care is unacceptable. Their surrendering stance on Iraq is unacceptable.

The previous Clinton regime did immeasurable damage to the military capabilities of the nation. You can expect a repeat performance under either Democratic candidate.

Bob Jack

North Las Vegas, Nev.

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Mitt Romney has bowed out, and it couldn’t have come a moment too soon. If this fellow had done a four-year stint in the Marine Corps or had at least been an ROTC lieutenant, he might had had some credibility with his constituency. Instead, he came across as an empty-suited, bloodless chief executive with a more expensive haircut than John Edwards.

It wasn’t his Mormon religion that killed him; people just didn’t relate to him in any way, shape or form. Simply put, the voters didn’t like him.

Charles Reilly

Manhattan Beach

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Romney described Clinton’s and Obama’s Iraq policy as “retreat,” declaring defeat and “surrender to terror.” By using such McCarthyite phrases, Romney confirms why he deserves neither the nomination of his party nor the presidency. People of goodwill in both parties can honestly disagree about the wisdom and prudence of invading Iraq and the costs of staying there indefinitely. To say that Romney was merely throwing red meat to his conservative fans is no excuse. With more than half the public consistently wanting to withdraw from Iraq, these kinds of words are an insult to thinking people everywhere and unworthy of a man who would seek to lead all the people.

David E. Mayhan

Los Angeles

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At last we have a candidate who has recognized that it was his patriotic duty to drop out of the presidential race. May we hope that this becomes a trend.

Ken Schmidt

Ventura