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Two Candidates, Two Styles

Re "Does Temperament Matter?": Throughout his career, John McCain has shown himself willing to put others at risk to advance his career or his causes [Oct. 27]. Like President Bush, he is a person who shoots from the hip, invites conflict and sees compromise as a sign of weakness rather than a path to progress. His impulsiveness has been evident this fall in rash decisions such as selecting Sarah Palin and suspending his campaign. While his supporters call him a maverick, I call him reckless. And as the past eight years have shown, recklessness is not what we need in a President. We need someone with intelligence, composure, discipline and restraint. Robert J. Inlow, CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA.

There is no question as to which candidate is qualified to serve this great country. McCain is ready to stand up and fight for our country and our freedom. He won't just be "present" while looking cool and working on his next book deal. Sharon Peterson CLINTON TOWNSHIP, MICH.

Examining leadership style gives some insight into how the candidates might govern. McCain exhibits the characteristics of a troubleshooter. This type of leader tends to deal with the here and now, is action-oriented, sees problems as separate issues and is primarily reactive. Barack Obama is more of a visionary, seeing a bigger, intertwined picture. For example, the visionary would perceive energy as an issue related to our security, the environment, our domestic economy and foreign policy. The troubleshooter, McCain, tends to approach energy by proposing immediate fixes: opening areas for drilling, now; building nuclear plants; reducing restrictions. While style is no guarantee of competence, Obama's fits the country's needs. James A. Savage Jr., HOLLY SPRINGS, N.C.

Though many pundits accuse Obama of being too cool, I do think some of it is on purpose. Imagine being the first African American with a real shot at the job. A hotheaded, emotional approach could make many whites uncomfortable. If Obama is elected and does the job well, the next time an African American runs, he or she will be freer to act less controlled. Diane Lake, MACHESNEY PARK, ILL.

Which candidate has Gerald Ford's fundamental decency? Both. Jimmy Carter's discipline? Obama. Ronald Reagan's sunny optimism? Obama. George H.W. Bush's diplomatic instincts? Both. Bill Clinton's intellectual curiosity? Obama. George W. Bush's dogged determination? Both. The score: Obama 6, McCain 3. Victoria Brago, LOS ANGELES

Know Your Economic ABCs

The Only thing more confusing than the byzantine course Justin Fox traverses in asserting that McCain was right about the economy's fundamentals being strong is his claim that Palin was "on to something" when she elaborated [Oct. 27]. Even a cursory look at high school math and science scores makes our workforce's challenges more than clear--a point Fox ignores while lauding the productivity of our still shrinking manufacturing base. That's a little like cheering the season-ending win by a losing team. Anthony Noel, GREENVILLE, N.C.

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