Richard Lugar

I am a Democrat. I voted for Bill Clinton in 1992 and will almost surely vote for him again in November. There are, however, a couple of Republicans offering themselves for nomination with whom I could live were they to be elected instead of Clinton. One is Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.). He has always impressed me as a knowledgeable, thoughtful, pragmatic and nonideological politician. He’s made his mark in the Senate as an expert on foreign affairs (and, based on any measure except seniority, should be chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee).

It is certainly unfortunate, for Sen. Lugar and for the American people, that these are the very attributes which doomed his candidacy (March 7). The process of electing a president has degenerated into a montage of sound bites, charges and countercharges, mudslinging and breathless horse race headlines. Any attempt at a thoughtful debate of the issues is ignored or drowned out. Most people, such as Bill Bradley, Jack Kemp, Warren Rudman and Colin Powell, don’t even get into the race, and Lugar, who got in, was ignored.

In politics we get what we deserve. I wonder when my fellow citizens are going to realize that we are allowing ourselves to be terribly shortchanged? When will we begin demanding that the process change?

CHARLES W. MUSER

Irvine