It's politics, not color

Re: Bob Jackson's Aug. 20 letter, "Courage defined":

A better title for the content of this letter would be, "Stupidity defined." Jackson implies that the Christian right will not vote for Sen. Barack Obama because he is black. The more likely reasons are his radical liberal politics, complete lack of experience and tax-and-spend mentality.

And, by the way, how does Jackson explain the 18 million Democrats of all religions who would not vote for Obama, either.

— Jeffrey Finn, Simi Valley

Intellect matters

Ever since Lloyd Bentsen told Dan Quayle, "Senator, you're no John Kennedy," Republicans have slammed anyone who would question the intellectual inferiority of their selected candidate.

"Elitism" is the moniker they hang around their opponent's neck — an accusation that ignores that we, the people, are being asked to elect one of two men to the world's most powerful and intellectually challenging position.

A number of pundits point to John McCain's inability to remember how many houses he owns as a sign of an aloofness — a rich man's inability to relate to the day-to-day issues facing ordinary Americans. But placed within the context of his many gaffes and near-incoherent mumblings in unscripted situations, a concern arises as to whether we are witnessing early signs of senile dementia, possibly even Alzheimer's.

That concern aside, even while in his prime, McCain's academic performance raises grave doubts about his qualifications to be president. As the son and grandson of powerfully placed admirals, he had little trouble getting into the Naval Academy, but his academic performance was dismal. He graduated 894th in a class of 899. Compare that with Barack Obama, who, despite a modest background, parlayed hard work and a superior intellect into becoming the first African-American student editor of the prestigious Harvard Law Review before graduating magna cum laude and moving on to teach constitutional law at the University of Chicago. Where packaging has failed to hide McCain's verbal deficiencies, Obama's erudition has been nothing short of brilliant.

The real issue is whether McCain, a man famous for his quick temper, possesses the intellectual capacity to lead.

Consider the damage done to this nation and the world these past eight years because of an intellectually challenged president. Do we risk it again?

Intellect matters. Vote for Obama.

— Ernest A. Canning, Thousand Oaks

Where's the beef?

Why, when both candidates for the Democratic Party have already been chosen — is that not the purpose of a convention? — did they waste everyone's time with this ridiculous commercial for these blowhards spewing wind?

Because my spouse won't let me change the channel, I had to watch Bill Clinton and these other cronies gushing hyperbole and making promises Barack Obama has no intention of keeping, and I'm in absolute disbelief that we just sit there watching it all, instead of demanding that these people offer us something useful like an actual debate between the candidates.

It's this kind of plastic, phony, political correctness that is our downfall. They're counting on people swallowing this gibberish instead of demanding plain talk, plain questions and answers. No wonder so many people are confused about what to do and whom to vote for. If we were smart, we'd simply reject these insults to our intelligence and turn the channel until they start saying something productive and worth listening to.

— Anthony Harper, Simi Valley

Change can be good

America: the land of the free and home of the brave.

Americans: a proud people who wouldn't think of attacking another sovereign nation without provocation.

But things change.

E pluribus unum — out of many, one. One nation under God. Don't tread on me.

These words used to have meaning. They defined us as a people, a people of many colors.

But things change.

When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Japanese Admiral Isokoru Yamamoto said, "I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve." He was so right.

But things change.

Saddam Hussein thought he, too, was dealing with a sleeping giant. He did his best not to waken that giant. Unfortunately for him and so many others, he was wrong.

But things change.

We have paid dearly for Saddam's mistake.

And now it seems we may elect a mule — a mule with tunnel vision who can see only in one direction. He has sworn to get Osama bin Laden — "I will follow him to the gates of hell" — and I wonder, "How many lives he is willing to squander in that pursuit?"

He has promised to "win the war."

Which war?

And again I wonder, "How much more of our money is he willing to squander in that endeavor, how many more lives?"

We need to protect our children and our grandchildren from this insanity. Their future is being jeopardized by mules.

We need change. We need change now!

— Bob Conti, Thousand Oaks

McCain unqualified

I have the utmost regard for John McCain. He is a patriot and noble American. He may even be a national treasure. I am a former Republican and generally vote conservative. However, I strongly believe that McCain is not qualified to be our next president. He has several strengths, but not in the areas we currently require. His economic policies and leadership skills are more of the same — outdated. Our country cannot continue spending itself deeper into debt. We can't afford a new war with Iran or Russia. President Bush's administration has left our country in dire straits.

It's time to develop new energy policies as well. Offshore drilling will not solve the long-term issues. Big Oil is exporting product out of the U.S. now! Why does anyone think they'll sell offshore oil domestically? The entire Republican leadership is far too interested in protecting its upper class and their portfolios. They will not limit oil companies from selling their product to the highest bidder abroad.

McCain has not addressed implementing stiff regulations preventing oil exportation from offshore drilling. Aside from a few conservative TV pundits, the right wing seems determined to undermine the U.S. middle class. I see strong family values and good character in Barack Obama. His ability to motivate and inspire will attract the best and the brightest Americans in solving our nation's problems. He's got my vote.

— Carol Williams, Thousand Oaks

Biden a VP mistake

The Democrats, supposedly the champions of pro-choice, made a poor choice in Joseph Biden.

The reason they chose him is in hope of gathering up Catholic votes and therein lies the rub.

Biden is pro-abortion. The fact is that you cannot be pro-abortion and Catholic. There are many "wannabe" Catholics who are pro-abortion, such as Nancy Pelosi. "Wannabe" Catholics, may vote for Biden or Barack Obama anyway, but Catholics will not.

The one thing the Democrats will pick up because of Biden will be larger campaign contributions from the abortion industry. Biden has been a steady and constant supporter of the abortion industry. One of the main reasons Biden voted against the Supreme Court nomination of Clarence Thomas was Thomas' disdain for abortion.

Catholics believe they are endowed by their creator with life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. In addition, Catholics believe that life begins at conception, not at birth. Termination of this life is not a right of a person, but only the right of the creator. This is one of the core beliefs of the Catholic religion. People who chose not to believe are not Catholics.

— Fran Jansen, Oxnard

Wrong kind of luck

Re: Joe Lombardi's Aug. 27 letter "Convention musings":

Lombardi addresses the effect Ted Kennedy's appearance at the Democratic National Convention had on the audience and brought up events of several decades ago to impeach his credibility. He then suggests we will need luck in November, apparently implying Kennedy's misdeeds in 1969 are somehow indicative of Barack Obama's ability to lead our nation.

How I wish we had been luckier eight years ago. Perhaps, with a little luck, we would not have been tricked into invading and occupying a country whose sole transgression, it seems, was being under the thumb of a dictator who annoyed Bush's daddy. Perhaps, with a little luck, we would not have lost 4,100 wonderful and brave soldiers who gave their lives to accomplish Bush's little vendetta. Perhaps, with a little luck, we could have expended our military and intelligence resources in Afghanistan and tracked down the real culprit behind al-Qaida and world terrorism.

Perhaps, with a little luck, we would not have accumulated the largest deficit in our nation's history and wouldn't have to worry about our children's children paying it down. Perhaps, with a little luck, our housing market would not have tanked and half of American homeowners would not owe more than their homes are worth.

Perhaps, with a little luck, the administration would have created an energy policy that aggressively pushed alternative energies. Perhaps, with a little luck, a real effort would have been made to establish a plan for Middle East peace.

Bush got lucky in Florida in 2000 and the rest of us got handled. I am not holding out hope that luck will bring change to our ailing nation. We're far beyond that. If Lombardi is feeling lucky come November, he should go ahead and vote for John McCain.

— Dennis DeCuir, Fillmore

Clean up Earth first

Sen. John McCain's campaign speech of "Drill Offshore and Drill Now" may be good campaign tactics, but let's look at the reality. This would be fine if it would change our dependency on foreign oil (the amount of oil produced would be infinitesimal) and we wouldn't have to wait seven to 10 years before the oil would be usable.

Certainly, there are much more important things on the next presidential agenda than offshore drilling. Shouldn't the most important thing on our minds and the president's agenda be how we can survive the worsening contamination? This certainly can't be helped by using more oil. We should be thinking green. If we want our Earth to continue being viable and supporting animal life, then immediate steps should be taken to eliminate this problem.

Putting politics aside, both the president and Congress should budget for the following:

— Sufficient money to develop alternative-energy processes, whether it be solar, windmills, algae, hydrogen fuel cells, etc.

— Create new industries, i.e., solar, which can help our unemployment problem and also help our economy.

— Prepare budgets that can lower our national debt quickly, which, in turn, can help fix our deteriorating economy.

— Fix our Medicare problems and, if possible, establish a universal healthcare program.

— Correct our Social Security problems.

I know this is just wishful thinking, but putting all our elected officials on Medicare and Social Security, would, in my opinion, immediately see both Medicare and Social Security problems corrected.

Seriously, though, I pray to God that we clean up our atmosphere quickly enough so that my children, my grandchildren's children and their children will be alive and able to live and breathe the "air" on Earth.

— Jack D. Prosen, Camarillo

What Warren didn't ask

Re: William Kristol's Aug. 19 commentary, "Showdown at Saddleback Church goes to McCain":

Kristol may have had a different conclusion if Rick Warren had asked John McCain the one question many of us would like to have answered: Is there a statute of limitations on the immorality of having an extramarital affair? Evidently, for Warren and Republican voters everywhere, the answer is yes.

In April 1979, while still married to his first wife, Carol, McCain was visiting Hawaii when he met Cindy Hensley, a wealthy, beautiful blonde 16 years his junior. In his words, they went to dinner and fell in love immediately. Ten months later, Feb. 19, 1980, McCain filed for divorce from his wife, stating in his petition that he had co-habited with her until Jan. 7, 1980. The decree was granted April 2, 1980. McCain and Cindy, eager to seal the deal, applied for a wedding license March 6, 1980, almost a month before he was legally divorced. Then, in what many of us might deem to be a lack of respect for his first family, John and Cindy tied the knot just six weeks later, May 17, 1980.

On his Web page and in his official memoir, McCain glosses over several of these details and does the mea culpa, "It was all my fault, my marriage had fallen apart" dance. Nevertheless, his wife, Carol, who valiantly worked for his release and spent years as a single mom, was "out," and the much younger Cindy was "in." In the only comment she has ever made about her husband's infidelity and hasty remarriage, Carol McCain said, "John was 40 wanting to be 25 again."

Kristol said, "It was McCain's night," but there are many voters who think the result would have been far different if Warren had asked a tough question on marital fidelity. Failure to do so was itself a moral lapse.

— Dianne Johnson, Camarillo