Inbox

Weighing the Options

Re Joe Klein's "Inspiration vs. Substance" [Feb. 18]: I am a 55-year-old independent voter, and while my mind says Hillary Clinton, my heart says Barack Obama. I have had concerns about his experience, but as he bests Clinton in state after state, it is becoming clear to me that this man has the judgment to surround himself with people of experience who know how to face challenges creatively. I suspect that if Obama becomes President, he will have the political courage to call on seasoned, experienced advisers from both parties to tackle the horrific challenges America faces. Perhaps we voters need to show some courage ourselves.

MAUREEN AULL FAIRBANKS, ALASKA

One of Klein's sentences in particular caught my attention: "She simply knows more than Obama does." There is no doubt that Senator Clinton is very intelligent and shows a command of the issues during debates. But having listened to several of Senator Obama's speeches and read all his policy statements as well as his books, I believe Obama is equally informed and perhaps even more intelligent. What's more, the positions he's taking now aren't just concepts he came up with on the campaign trail because they tested well in polls; he wrote about them in his books years ago. His amazing ability to inspire derives from his refreshing authenticity and his emphasis on what is common to us rather than on what divides us. I'll take that over debate-scoring sound bites any day.

DEBBIE PHILLIPS-DONALDSON WEST DUNDEE, ILL.

Thank you, Joe Klein, for reminding us that substance is important! I have waited too long for an acknowledgment that Obama's campaign lacks focus on the issues. Inspiration is not enough. Words are only as strong as the actions that back them up. America deserves a leader who does more than talk the talk; we deserve a leader who walks the walk. Hillary Clinton is ready--in vision and action.

SARA MASUCCI, BELMONT, MASS.

Inspiration moves people to do great things. The greatness of our country will depend less on the experience and substance of its leader than on the collective effort of its people. Nobody can be truly experienced in the ever changing challenges of this world. But if a leader has the right vision and the ability to inspire people to work together, then problems are more easily solved.

LORRAINE BANGAYAN WESTERN SPRINGS, ILL.

Visions of a Dream Team

Many people have proposed their idea of the ideal Democratic ticket [Feb. 18]. Here's mine: Obama for Prez, with John Edwards for Veep and Clinton for Secretary of State. Obama would bring the inspiration of Kennedy's Camelot, Edwards as V.P. would preclude Bill's getting in the way, and Hill would get a job she can sink her teeth into. The ticket would be so damn compelling, the Republicans would probably concede in October.

RONALD D. GREEN, SAN JOSE, CALIF.

Michael Duffy failed to mention the best V.P. candidate for either Clinton or Obama, namely, Bill Richardson. Think about the support he can get from Hispanic voters in the Southwest and California.

RONALD GLOSSOP, JENNINGS, MO.

Reading Between the Pixels

I was immediately struck by your choice of photographs in "The Great Divide" [Feb. 18]. Whether intentional or not, your portrayal of Clinton in stark black-and-white photos juxtaposed with the much warmer color photos of Obama had the effect of increasing the very divide your article addressed. Obama was shown smiling, cuddling with his wife and playing with a soccer ball, while Clinton was shown doing a phone interview, studying papers in preparation for a rally and standing in the dark before giving a speech. Photographs can be just as biased as language. A little more evenhandedness would have been preferable.

MARCIA HAYDEN-HORAN, SYRACUSE, N.Y.

Presidents and Pocketbooks

Justin Fox asked if presidents matter when it comes to the economy [Feb. 18]. In Canada unemployment is at a record low, exports are in demand, and there is no hint of a subprime-mortgage crisis or recession. This in a country with higher taxes than the U.S. and universal health care to boot. In U.N. quality-of-life surveys, Canada beats the U.S. by miles. Canada, it seems, has struck a balance: government is responsible for collecting taxes and providing services. In contrast, the U.S. has corporate welfare, tax cuts for the wealthy and the decimation of public services and infrastructure. Republican administrations have dispensed with oversight of corporations, leading to job outsourcing and the financial collapses and crises of companies such as Enron, MCI and banks with a big stake in the mortgage industry. It matters what Presidents do!

PETER ROSENTHAL, CHARLESTON, S.C.

iAnxiety

I am sure TIME didn't mean to give Microsoft's Steve Ballmer and Yahoo!'s Jerry Yang any more anxiety, but the imaginary "microHOO!" website you depicted apparently runs on Apple's Macintosh OS X, with Apple's Safari Web browser, complete with built-in Google search field [Feb. 18]!

MALCOLM G. ROSS, ANNANDALE, VA.

Coming to Cupid's Rescue

In a world at war with toxins, violence, global warming and weird diseases, Nancy Gibbs' attack on Valentine's Day (which she called "A Day to Forget") is right up there with the Grinch stealing Christmas [Feb. 18]. Perhaps Gibbs, too, needs to check the size of her heart. She noted that the feast day's origins are murky, but its popularity throughout so many centuries suggests that the stories of Valentinus' deeds in the service of love have caught the public's imagination. Before condemning things of legend, consider how we have incorporated tales of another saint into our lives. Although society has made Santa Claus the hero of a consumer-driven, materialistic culture, at the core of that character is the love that St. Nicholas had for his God and neighbor. Why not celebrate the legend of Valentinus on Valentine's Day?

SHARON REIDY, BEDFORD, MASS.

I take umbrage with Gibbs' dismissal of Valentine's Day. It is one of the yearly events that does not have to be commercial. I make heart-shaped cookies with a friend, and we send most of them to our children and grandchildren, who live around the country. Each swipe of frosting, each sprinkle of red sugar is an act of love. I tie the boxes with red bows and send them off. Not everything has to be expensive or come from a store. Saying "I love you" is easy--if somewhat caloric.

SUSAN CAVENAGH, CARLISLE, PA.

More Than Water Woes

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon urged world leaders to confront the looming water-shortage crisis [Feb. 11]. He should instead urge them to grapple with the underlying cause: overpopulation. While it is admittedly a very sensitive topic for social, religious and personal reasons, it is worth debating. Overpopulation is the root cause of poverty, war and almost every other problem. In a few short years, 9 billion people will inhabit this shrinking earth. If leaders continue to bury their heads in the sand at the mere mention of the subject, the resulting problems and suffering will affect many generations to come.

MEL SPEHN, CARMEL VALLEY, CALIF.