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A New Deal? Not Yet

The photo on the cover of your Nov. 24 issue is an O-bomination! Can we please wait to see how well the new President does before we canonize him? Joseph Cortese II, WEST DES MOINES, IOWA

Liberalism: The Next Generation

Kudos to Peter Beinart on "the new Liberal Order" [Nov. 24]. Because of a remote personal connection--I am a cousin of the infamous William Ayers--I have followed the details of the election avidly, though in the past I found the process quite boring. TIME did a great job of highlighting different components of the race with articles from a variety of viewpoints. Jayne Ayers, DOUSMAN, WIS.

The election of Barack Obama does not represent a "new liberal order" so much as the latest desire to establish responsibility in the congressional playpen. For decades, Americans have voted in politicians with the hope that they would work together for the common good. And for decades, most of these politicians have acted like spoiled, self-interested toddlers. "Change we can believe in"? Our needs are much simpler than that. At this point, we would settle for someone who can persuade Congress to act like adults--and maybe even share. If not, we will be interviewing for a new day-care provider in 2012. Patrick Hester, CARY, N.C.

Most informed people acknowledge that the financial mess began not with Republican deregulation but with liberal social engineering--exploited by Wall Street, to be sure, and unchecked by either party. A Republican House helped pass the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the most sweeping regulatory bill since the time of Franklin D. Roosevelt. If liberals rule unconstrained, we won't recognize our country in 30 years. Lori Zimmerman, RED BANK, N.J.

Beinart's article is extremely insightful. It never occurred to me that the liberalism of F.D.R. died in the '60s, but it makes sense that it was redefined by baby boomers and that the new definition solidified in Grant Park in 1968. Thanks for the enlightening perspective. Courtez Brown, RICHARDSON, TEXAS

What Obama's Win Really Means

I appreciated "The Messiah Myth" [Nov. 24]. As an Obama campaign volunteer, I was among the 40% of whites in the crowd at rallies, and I soaked in the amazing diversity of blacks in attendance. I began to learn, as you say, what blacks have "to show America and the world." This time the fire is like flames from coal: strong, quiet, productive energy. Your article rings true with my experiences: Obama is not the wave; he rides it. He represents what we strive for in ways that transcend race. Gerald Remington, ORANGE CITY, FLA.

Somalia's Struggles

Yes, the Somali Islamic government had its faults [Nov. 24]. But you left out that after 15 years with no government, Somali businessmen created one to establish some order. They succeeded and actually stopped piracy. But the U.S. and Ethiopian militaries attacked the nation's hospitals and civilians and destroyed the government, bringing back piracy--not to mention possibly the worst refugee conditions in the world. Don Lairs, AUSTIN, TEXAS

Do or Die in Detroit