To the Editor:

Reasons to vote for Barack Obama:

An activist for the underprivileged. Graduate of Harvard Law School. President of the Harvard Law Review. He is a member of the United States Senate. He stands by his ideals and principles despite baiting from McCain/Palin. He came out against the war when no one else would. I believe he is for real change not rhetoric change. He reminds me of John Kennedy from a charisma and leadership point of view and I like that. I have read his book Dreams of My Father, written long before he ran for the Presidency, and was very impressed. He picked as his running mate a man of substantial experience and integrity, Joe Biden. He will surround himself with those who can help lead this country away from the disasters and disappointments of the last eight years, not cronies like Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld etc.

Reasons not to vote for John McCain:

Four years ago, many of us would have voted for him as a VP if he had changed to the Democratic Party which he was considering. He was a moderate Republican who could have worked with both sides of the aisle. He has prostituted those ideals for endorsement from the religious right. I no longer trust him or his judgment. Sara Palin — the John McCain of four years ago would never have even considered someone so ill-fitted to hold the office of VP or even worse, President. She is against pro-choice for women, believes government and religion are not separate, is antigun control in a nation where violence is out of control, believes in Creationism and would have it taught in the schools. She brushes a side the effects of global warming and is against stem cell research. Think of the people that would eventually help!

John McCain is being controlled like a puppet. He is so desperate to win that he has tossed aside his ideals and replaced them with smear ads and attempts to sarcastically make himself appear smarter than Barack Obama, which at any measure is impossible.

Anyone can see that this campaign has already aged the man. At 71 he looks lost and tired and not sure of himself. What if…

Can you honestly see Sara Palin as President of the United States? Think about it! Who do you really think would govern? To the many people who have sacrificed a great deal and sometimes everything for this country it would be an affront.

Integrity and consistency — first, he defends Bush, but now as his popularity polls plummet he is against him. Inconsistent. One has no reasons to believe that things will be any different should he be elected and every reasons to think that fat cats who have made billions (Exxon, Enron, Wall Street etc) will continue to milk the American people uncontrolled and unaccountable.

Frankly, not since the Kennedy/Nixon election have I believed so strongly in a candidate as I do now, Or in an election in which the candidates are so fundamentally different. There is a clear choice. Think about what your grandchildren and mine will inherit. What will be their world 25 years from now? If there is one.

Laurence Hasek

3 Tamarack Road, Newtown                                      October 21, 2008