Candidates

Ronald Brownstein cites voter “nonchalance” (May 1) as a “measure of a country largely content and at peace.” He ignores the perception by many that George W. Bush and Al Gore are but two horns on the same bull. Recent events and protests escape his attention.

Nor does he explain the fact that a recent poll shows over 5% of those canvassed favoring Ralph Nader (Green Party) as a means of making their vote count rather than settling for the least-worst candidate.

ROBERT SHRAGG

Santa Monica

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Re “Gore Questions Bush’s Qualifications,” April 30:

Has Gore forgotten that Bill Clinton, whom he has called one of our greatest presidents, had as prior experience only the administration of a state whose population and budget are probably less than L.A. County’s and whose major industry was chicken plucking?

HOWARD LOCKWOOD

Lake View Terrace

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The current political media babble has it that the Republicans are accepting money from the NRA, HMOs and big tobacco and that they will clearly be expecting favors in return if the Republicans are elected. However, the moneys contributed to the Democrats by the trial lawyers, teachers unions, specifically, and labor unions in general are gifts with no expectation of any favors in return. Does anyone really believe that only some big campaign contributors expect favors in return?

WILLIAM A. DAVIS

Calabasas

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Does anyone other than me look back in sadness to the times when we had presidential candidates to waste, so to speak? I mean, how would you like to have a Hubert Humphrey, Tom Dewey, Adlai Stevenson or Barry Goldwater on either slate this year instead of being forced to choose from the pair we have?

NORM SWATON

Downey