Presidential Campaigns

Ronald Brownstein’s May 20 Washington Outlook is a good example of what is wrong with the American political system. In reference to the presidential race, phrases like “GOP victory,” “the cost of that miscalculation” and “win the White House” draw a perfect picture of both Republicans and Democrats; neither side cares as much about helping Americans as they care about winning the contest.

That’s all it is, just a contest, with a winner and a loser. And the winner is not necessarily the best person for America, he’s just the best person at the contest. In fact, he may not even be that, he may just have the best team. So the real losers are us.

I’m not really sure what the best answer is, but here are a couple of suggestions: First, voters should be allowed to concentrate more on the information they get and less on the person who delivers it; second, more than two political parties. I know there are more than two, but everyone knows, if you’re anything other than a Democrat or a Republican you don’t really count. Or maybe no parties at all.

Any man or woman who spends (or wants to spend) his or her entire working life as a politician should be put in a home somewhere. Get a life! Take a little time off, get elected, make some laws, help your country, then go home.

BART BRAVERMAN

Los Angeles

* In “Clinton’s Efforts to Preempt GOP Give His Foes Pause” (May 21), Brownstein stated, “Liberals seem prepared to give Clinton remarkable freedom to tack and shift his course.”

To us conservatives, it is merely the hypocritical left guarding their King Hypocrite. One must question their sanity, to keep endorsing the many shifts of this president.

To all thinking Americans, even those who parted from President Bush because of his “read my lips” broken promise, the coming election day choice is even more clear. A new President Dole would bring sanity and clear principle back to the White House.

ROY ROUDINE

Los Alamitos