Eyes on Election '08
In the July 16 issue, U.S. News ran an article on the upcoming presidential election: "The Candidates: No Incumbent. No Favorite. Anything Could Happen." Included in the section, though they may run, were three people who are not yet candidates: Michael Bloomberg, Fred Thompson, and Al Gore. Where is the information on the rest of the Democratic and Republican candidates? You may consider some candidates first tier and second tier, but by providing information on all candidates, you can educate the public as they begin to think about the primaries. Run a section on every candidate, their position on various issues, and help the public make a more informed decision at the polls!
BLAINE P. DUNN
Winchester, Va.
As an example of internet campaigning, you drew attention to the highly successful Clinton spoof of the TV show The Sopranos ["The Internet"]. It was far more than an eye-catcher. There was a clever message there, too: Bill walks into the restaurant with his sport shirt out, looking not like a former president but like a regular guy stopping by on his way to Wal-Mart. The subliminal message is he's just a house husband now and certainly not a "co-president."
RUTH HOWARD
Lake Oswego, Ore.
How can you ignore the nearly 9 trillion-dollar national debt ["The Issues"]? If I were irresponsible, I could buy myself a ski boat, take a vacation to Europe, have some fun, and charge it all to my credit cards. What is apparent to me is that America is living beyond its means, running up a bill that no one is interested in paying. There must be a candidate who recognizes the need for fiscal responsibility and that sacrifice may be required. Someone must put country before party.
MIKE NELSON
Galt, Calif.
I expected "An Election Like No Other" to emphasize the wide-openness of the 2008 campaign at this point. You teased us with a mention of "new kinds of candidates" but failed to deliver the goods. Your users guide was a disservice to your readership by failing to mention candidates like Dennis Kucinich and Ron Paul, who've captured the imagination of some of the voters if not the mainstream media. What this reader/voter "need[s] to know as the campaign heats up" isn't how much money the front-runners have raised or which billionaire mayor or Hollywood actor may or may not decide at the last minute to run but rather where candidates stand on the issues.
BLAIR KOOISTRA
Fort Worth
Party Neutral
Your report on the Democratic Party's outreach to Catholics provided interesting insights about how both major political parties seek the support of religious groups ["Democrats Set Their Sights on Winning Back Catholics," July 2-9]. Because our organization was mentioned in the article, we want to make it clear that we have always worked with both parties and maintain a strictly nonpartisan stance. Since our founding by 47 Catholic sisters in 1971, we have lobbied, organized, and educated for social justice. When lobbying Congress, we have consistently sought to engage leadership on both sides of the aisle for the benefit of those who live in economic poverty. We have also encouraged thousands of voters to question candidates about their positions on issues like poverty, healthcare, and a federal budget that addresses human needs and to consider their responses as they go to the polls. We have never suggested that they vote for one party or the other. We believe that civic engagement is an important component of our faith life and that voting is one way each of us can make a difference. It's not the party but the candidate's commitment to justice that really matters.
SISTER SIMONE CAMPBELL
Executive Director
MARY T. YELENICK
Chair, Board of Directors
Network
Washington, D.C.
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