Campaign Tactics Today

Marge Piercy’s wish that the presidential election was more than merely a popularity contest is commendable but no longer practical in our current television-based society (Commentary, March 22). Three years after Michael Dukakis, a dark-complexioned man with a difficult name, went down to defeat, The Times ran an article listing 10 potential Democratic presidential candidates for the next election. Each had a photo and a brief biography. I looked down the photos until I saw a handsome-looking man with a bright smile. Then I looked over at his name. It was a clean, simple name. “Bill Clinton,” I told my wife, “Now, there is someone who can be elected.”

Martin A. Brower

Corona del Mar

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I am concerned with the tactics being used for fundraising by the Republicans. In the last month I have received two mailers, one from the Republican National Committee and one from Bush-Cheney ’04. I am a registered Democrat and have been for the last 10 years. Each mailing either directly or indirectly implies that I am a Republican, generously supported them in the past and have not renewed my membership.

I have never given money to the Republicans. My main concern is that these mailers may be reaching voters who for some reason or another may not see that this is a ploy (e.g., senior citizens, the developmentally disabled). I can just imagine my great-grandmother reading one of these and saying to herself, “Oh, I guess I just forgot to send my money in.”

Phillip Arnold

Toluca Lake

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President Bush has raised more than $100 million for his campaign. Where do people think that huge amount of money has come from? When will they realize that it has been donated to Bush by the wealthy, the big corporations and the special-interest groups that have gotten tax breaks and favorable legislation from him at the expense of the average American for whom life and monthly bill-paying is a constant struggle? Nobody gives that kind of money away unless it’s going to buy them something.

Shel Willens

Los Angeles

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How many times did I hear during President Clinton’s regime that Republicans were mean-spirited? After hearing all of the rhetoric toward Bush, I would say that liberals are now the kings of mean-spiritedness.

Scott Bonnar

Pasadena