O.C. Republicans
In a recent Orange County Voices article (“The State of the GOP: Local Party Still Packs Power,” Nov. 15), Hugh Hewitt stated that, “Many now suspect that it is crucial for the local GOP to fashion and sell the compromise that John Wayne [Airport] will stay small and El Toro will remain empty.” It is his contention that “endless infighting among otherwise like-minded Republican voters threatens a much more important agenda than transportation.” Precisely!
It is time for the local GOP to come to grips with the undeniable fact that a party controlled by airport proponents will not “enhance” party loyalty among those tens of thousands of conservative voters whose quality of life will be destroyed by its negative impact.
Hence, will the approval of an El Toro airport in 1999 have serious repercussions for the election in 2000 and beyond? This is a question that the state and local GOP needs to ponder very carefully.
PAUL WILLEMS, Laguna Niguel
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Regarding the Hewitt column: No central theme? A “small talk” election? If ever an election had a central theme, it was the 1998 “Get Clinton” campaign.
LEN DIAMOND, Westminster
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