Democratic Convention

Your article forgot one factor in explaining why a lot of people are deciding they like President Clinton (“After 4 Years, Public Finds It Likes Clinton,” Aug 28). From the beginning of his term he was targeted by a well-financed, ferocious campaign to tear him down. But as time went by, an old adage proved out: You can’t fool all the people all the time.

BRIAN MILLAR

Encinitas

* Well, the poker game (bidding war?) has begun. I’ll see your 15% tax cut and raise you a college education and a tax-free IRA to pay for your bridge to the 21st century. Both candidates should be sworn in immediately. We should not have to wait until November or January to get all the “free stuff” that they have promised. Put that chicken in that pot and that car in that garage. Hip! Hip! Phooey.

ROBERT F. FALLER

West Covina

* Re “Now 16, a Smiling Chelsea Blossoms,” Aug 29: Enough with the fluff! During the Republican convention you ran a story that used homelessness and joblessness as a backdrop to the convention. Now during the Democratic convention you run a story about Chelsea Clinton. What’s next? Front-page pictures of Clinton and Al Gore kissing babies and passing out candy to little kids?

RAYMOND E. CERVANTES

Sierra Madre

* A cheering thought for the Republicans: After Bill serves his eight years as president, and Hillary serves her eight years, Chelsea will still be too young to run.

ROY BRADY

Northridge

* Three cheers for President Clinton’s proposed initiative to support early literacy and reading skills for young children (Aug. 28). Three cheers that he chose to announce that initiative on the steps of a public library.

Last year more than half a million children participated in reading motivation programs at the 88 County of Los Angeles public libraries. Thousands of parents participated in sessions designed to help them introduce their children to books and reading in the home. Children and parents checked out more than 4 million books. This is despite ongoing budget reductions resulting in limited staff, reduced hours and a book budget that has been reduced to 20% of the national standard.

PENNY S. MARKEY

Manhattan Beach

The writer is coordinator of youth services for the County of Los Angeles Public Library.

* Clinton says that the state of public education in America has fallen to such depths that after four years of public school education, what our children need, to learn to read, is an army of amateurs, teacher’s aides and “volunteer” tutors to teach them.

He might be right, but if he is, this leaves us with the question, what have we been paying our children’s teachers to do?

MICHAEL McINTYRE

Los Angeles

* I really do think it would be appropriate for our first lady to send Bob Dole a special thank you for his generosity in providing a beautiful theme for her wonderful Aug. 27 speech to the convention. Her not-too-subtle reply regarding “It takes a village” was the perfect response to criticism of her in recent months.

MARVALENE STAATS

Menifee, Calif.

* Re your Aug. 28 front-page photograph: Wonderful picture of First Lady Hillary Clinton. But did your photo editor really mean for it to look like Eva Peron?

JIM McHARGUE

Los Angeles

* With the derailment of Dick Morris (Aug. 29), Clinton’s close friend and engineer of the right-track strategy, will George Stephanopoulos, Harold Ickes, Hillary, et al. persuade Clinton to return to the left track?

CHARLES JOYCE

Lake Forest

* I wonder how many people noticed the lack of personal attacks made against Dole during this Democratic convention, as compared to the brutal attacks made against President Clinton and his wife during the Republican convention? This should tell us something about which party is willing to discuss issues, and which one needs to resort to character assassination in order to make its case.

BEN BRONWEIN

Newhall

* I am tired of hearing about the liberal Hollywood establishment (“Hollywood Plays a Starring Role in Financing Politics,” Aug. 25). You never hear about the political views of the film crews, which outnumber the talent about 50 to 1 and are almost to a man conservative Republicans.

CLAUDE BROWN

Los Angeles

* In response to your article about Clinton being “wiser” and “more focused” at 50 (Aug. 19), I miss the more exuberant days of his “youth,” before the 1994 election, when he seemed to pursue some ideas of his own. Now he seems “wiser” at ensuring his own reelection by co-opting Republican ideas and abandoning his own.

As a supporter of Clinton in the 1992 election, I wish he would stand by what he campaigned for. Then the success of his ideas could be tested. His conscious change of image to “the good father” in midterm does not seem sincere, and makes me wonder how sincere he was originally.

CHRISTOPHER HUNDLEY

Los Angeles

* It must be hard for George Will (Column Right, Aug. 25) to stomach the repudiation by the American people of his and Newt Gingrich’s conservative agenda. Why else would he attack President Clinton for doing what is best for the country, not what’s best for narrow-minded political ideology?

But of course Will, in his wiser-than-other-mortals attitude, can’t grasp the fact that the realities the president encountered as he came to office have directed most of the debate. The Reagan/Bush budget deficits have tempered the president’s agenda. The health care calamity facing the nation was brought to voter awareness by the work done by the first lady.

While it may seem out of character for a politician from either party to do what is best for the country, Will had better get used to the new Democrats. This election is one of ideas, not personalities. The conservatives, and especially Newt, care more for pushing an agenda, where the end justifies the means, than doing what’s right for the American people.

GARY W. GRAY

Costa Mesa

* Robert McElvaine (Commentary, Aug. 26) declares the Democrats’ ability to capture the presidency only twice since 1968 a direct result of the Republicans tying the Democratic Party to the “bad ‘60s.” Baloney. The Republicans didn’t have to do a thing; the Democrats did it to themselves.

After the defeat of 1968, the rank-and-file Democrats permitted the leftist elites to alienate most of the former Democratic New Deal coalition with a screwball social agenda. In their own hubris these elites failed to realize that the old Democratic constituencies were just as conservative on social issues as the Republicans, if not more so.

Not to worry. Although Bill Clinton has the courage of his wife’s convictions, he’s no dummy. He talks right at election time but governs left when given the chance. Liberals to their dismay are just now coming to see what conservatives have always known: Clinton defends no ideological terrain and can always be counted on to do the most expedient thing.

MARK NEDELMAN

Irvine

* Your coverage of both political conventions has been outstanding. You offered in-depth comparisons and contrasts of each candidate’s positions. You provided thorough coverage of individual speeches, transcending the sound-bite reporting offered by broadcast media. And, perhaps most importantly, you presented readers with balanced analysis that burrowed beneath each candidate’s rhetoric and examined their records.

TODD CONGER