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Who Is the Real Dean?
"Howard Dean is hard to pigeonhole because he is not an ideologue and doesn't surround himself with ideologues."
LAURENCE E. THOMSON
Richmond, Vt.

The major contribution that Howard Dean has made to the presidential campaign is to provide voters with a clear and dramatic choice [Jan. 12]. In recent years, Democratic and Republican presidential candidates have run poll-based campaigns that all sounded the same. Dean is not George W. Bush; Dean has different ideas about how to keep America safe and prosperous. If he becomes the Democratic nominee, voters will have a real choice this November. Isn't that what democracy is all about — two candidates with different views?
PAUL FEINER
Greenburgh, N.Y.

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Dean lacks the folksy charm that attracts many Americans to George W. Bush. If the Dems are looking for a clear alternative to Bush, is Dean the right guy? A question to ponder before voting this primary season: Is it more important to teach Bush and the Republicans a lesson or to elect someone who can work with people from both sides of the aisle?
BOB AUGUST
Nashville, Tenn.

Discouragingly, Dean reminds me a lot of the Democrats' 1984 presidential candidate, Walter Mondale. In that campaign, Mondale proclaimed he would raise taxes. As a result, he went on to lose by a landslide, with Ronald Reagan winning 49 states. I fear a similar scenario may transpire in 2004, considering that Dean is talking about rescinding all of President Bush's tax cuts.
MICHAEL DUKES
Toronto, Ohio

Dean is a sensible, intelligent, moderate former Governor who has proved he can balance budgets and create jobs. He is optimistic and straight talking. His background as a doctor makes him capable of looking for facts, diagnosing problems and prescribing solutions. He will serve as a President for all of us, not just a chosen few.
CHRISTY DAY
Amherst, N.H.

Despite the Time/CNN poll numbers that put Dean within five percentage points of Bush, 46% to 51%, voters will wake up to reality on Election Day. Dean is like the crazy guy in your neighborhood who everyone thinks is kind of cool but who would never be called on in an emergency.
STEVEN F. DITTMANN
Arabi, La.

Speaking of Dean, you asked if the country is "willing to elect a Brahmin who grew up in East Hampton, N.Y., and on Park Avenue, who brings virtually no national-security experience to a post-9/11 nation." I ask if the country is willing to re-elect Bush, a Brahmin who grew up the son of a rich politician with a summer estate in Maine; who had no national-security experience when he entered office; who has effectively turned much of the world against the U.S. since 9/11. I'd take the Brahmin doctor, who I believe genuinely wants to help people in this country, over the Brahmin oilman, who caters to his wealthy and powerful friends.
ZOE WEIL
Surry, Maine

The Power of Populism
Joe Klein questions the wisdom of the Democrats' using classic populism ("the people vs. the powerful") as a strategy to win the presidency [Jan. 12]. I say more power to them. It is the common people who work, pay taxes and fight our wars. Klein noted that the by-products of the 1890s' wave of populism were a progressive income tax, antitrust legislation and other reforms. Dean is proposing the same type of progressive political, social and economic agenda.
ONOFRIO PERZIA
LeRoy, N.Y.

If the only alternative to Bush-style elitism is classic populism, I'll take it. For millions of Americans who lack jobs, health care, homes and a rosy future, populist issues are more important than the risk of terrorism.
JON KOPPENHOEFER
Springfield, Ohio

Delays Ahead
"Grounded By Terror," on the scrutiny of international airline flights because of security concerns [Jan. 12], provided an excellent snapshot of what air travel will be like in the future. The Homeland Security Department did a good job of preventing a holiday-season terrorist attack. The majority of the traveling public does not mind security inconveniences if everyone is flying safer.
DAN R. THIES
Interlachen, Fla.

Cattle Crisis
"How Now, Mad Cow?" described the discovery of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a dairy cow in the U.S. [Jan. 12]. Mad-cow disease? They should call it mad-human disease! Only we humans would feed a vegetarian animal contaminated meat-and-bone meal, exposing it to a horrible disorder, and then be mainly concerned with our inability to eat it. Which species, I ask, is mad?
LAKSHMI JACKMAN
Austin, Texas

Europe has been able to live with and protect itself against mad-cow disease, which seems to be manageable if farmers and slaughterhouses are willing to test cattle before slaughter. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization encourages the testing of all slaughter cattle for mad-cow disease, but since this is a U.N. agency, I guess the U.S. won't consider its advice.
MARKUS G. SCHRIBER
Geneva