The president in California

Re “Obama hears state’s anxiety,” March 19

On Wednesday, the new commander in chief made his first presidential visit to Orange County. Given that the county is at the heart of the nation’s housing crisis, it made perfect sense for him to come here.

I believe that there is another reason Orange County is on President Obama’s radar. Clearly, things are changing here -- and not to the GOP’s liking. Newsweek reported recently that “in November, the place that fancies itself ‘the reddest county in America’ gave the Democratic nominee for president nearly 48% of the vote.” Shocking, considering that four years earlier, George W. Bush defeated John Kerry here with a wider vote margin than in any other county in the nation.

The conventional wisdom is that Ronald Reagan and John Wayne still dominate political life in Orange County, but it just isn’t so.

Denny Freidenrich

Laguna Beach

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I am tired of the White House’s response to criticism by ridiculing the criticizer.

I am tired of the White House media ignoring their responsibility to me, my family and the rest of America to critically analyze and question the White House and congressional leadership.

And I am tired of the teleprompter.

Through it all, it is clear to me that Obama is a lightweight. Why else an appearance on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”?

Paul J. Carter

Long Beach