Get a grip

Re “Clinton overstays her welcome,” Letters, May 28

I must be incredibly naive. When I learned of Hillary Rodham Clinton’s reference to the 1968 assassination of Robert Kennedy, the point I thought she was making was that not all presidential campaigns are sewed up before June. But three letter writers tell us that Clinton was either predicting or directly threatening the assassination of her Democratic rival, Barack Obama.

This might be a good time for voters to get a tighter grip on reality. There is nothing in Clinton’s record that would even minimally support the inference that she or her proxies have ever conducted, or would conduct, business at the level of ruthlessness these letter writers imply. Such accusations are not only unfounded but offensive.

One thing is certain: At some point in the coming months or years, voters will grow disenchanted with whichever candidate lands in the White House. Such disenchantment may be unavoidable.

However, I think the electorate could maximize its chances of a good outcome by focusing on objective, verifiable facts. The kind of cartoonish characterizations that have pilloried Clinton in this election do not assist the electoral process.

Margaret Daugherty

Los Angeles