Presidential Campaign

Every time I see and, worse, hear the presidential candidates sniping at each other like a couple of itinerant snake-oil hucksters, I am reminded that the meaningless pap issuing from their mouths originates in the minds of speech writers and position strategists intent only on winning. The candidates, and I have to include the Republican vice presidential candidate, reveal not the slightest glimmer of intelligence, vision, or the noble charm of self-confidence required of a President.

The polls tell us that Bush now holds a commanding lead; earlier polls indicate a high percentage of undecided voters, and therein, I think, lies the preference of the electorates: recognizing the candidates lack qualifications, we should, instead of unwillingly choosing the lesser evil, declare for a referendum requiring the selection of candidates better qualified. Why should we make do with ventriloquists’ dummies?

C.L. McKINNON

Woodland Hills