Quotes of the Day

David Von Drehle's cover story "The Five Faces of Barack Obama" assured me that Obama would be a good choice for President [Sept. 1]. The reason: He has the curiosity to look deeply into controversial issues. I am 80 years old and was raised in Wisconsin, where folks rarely considered other perspectives. I opted to live in Alaska from 1949 and on into statehood. I can well appreciate Obama's ability to examine an idea or policy that has been suitable and decide to move on if it no longer fits. This ability escapes most Americans. Sadly, the very positive attributes Obama possesses appear to be fodder for voters to doubt his abilities. The only salvation I can see, if any, will be when the older folks die off and the young realize our mistakes and embrace a candidate like Barack Obama.
Rita Ihly, BELLINGHAM, WASH., U.S.

ENOUGH OBAMA MANIA ON YOUR COVERS!
Barry Howell, WHITE BEAR LAKE, MINN., U.S.

When I saw Obama once again on the cover, two words immediately came to my mind: shockingly predictable.
Matt Willis, FORT WORTH, TEXAS

Your writer essentially says that Obama tells each of his supporters what they want to hear from him, regardless of whether he actually shares their beliefs. A great leader, as Obama claims to be, would not grovel for political advantage. A great leader should tell us what he deeply and sincerely believes we need to hear, even at the risk of losing the acclaim of the masses.
Lucia Ion, PLANO, TEXAS, U.S.

Fix the Vote!
Re the quote in "Back & Forth" about letting thousands of voting machines remain broken for November's election because of a scheduling backlog [Sept. 1]: We can find water on Mars and land a man on the moon, but we can't produce a working voting machine in eight years? Heads should roll.
Norma Wilkinson, LONG BEACH, CALIF., U.S.

You, Too, Can Adore the Snore
I enjoyed your piece "The Snore Wars" [Sept. 1]. I would like to share a remarkable discovery I made while traveling the country on business and sharing hotel rooms with a male colleague who had a snore like an outboard motor. You cannot win a snore war by fighting the noise; you can win by embracing the sound. Simply set your breathing rhythm to the rhythm of the snore, and the sound becomes a sleep aid. Now I like it when my colleague goes to sleep first because I fall asleep faster.
Colin Dangaard, MALIBU, CALIF., U.S.

A Question of Class
I finished Mike Murphy's article "A Working-Class Hero?" feeling more disconnected from my own "class" than I ever did from Barack Obama [Sept. 1]. Yes, I am white, and yes, I spent years in a factory. But I've never had a beer during a lunch break (it probably would have got me fired), I have no problem with young executives, I actually like endive salad, and while driving my pickup truck, I listen to National Public Radio. I have no problem with a presidential candidate being perceived as élitist and would not vote for him if he typified the "lunch-pail wing" you described. I think Murphy should step off his pedestal a little more often; all white, blue-collar workers are not the same.
William Gilchrist, CAMDEN, ARIZ., U.S.

One Size Does Not Fit All
As a 72-year-old working female, I am offended by Mike Murphy's caricature of Obama supporters [Sept. 1]. I bought a Prius because I have to drive 65 miles each way to work because jobs are scarce. I drink Syrah to dull the pain of the damage done by eight years of Bush and friends.
Joni Woolf, ELLAVILLE, GA., U.S.

The Ethnic Divide
I partly agree with Andrew Purvis' Briefing on Georgia [Sept. 1]. However, on the question of the two ethnic entities now not being able to live side by side any time soon, one must remember that toward the end of the former Soviet Union the South Ossetians had a degree of autonomy. It was the new Georgian government that unilaterally revoked this autonomous status. So, at a moment of crisis, what should Russia have done but come to the rescue of its people (although in military terms the way it was done was definitely disproportionate)? I wonder what the author thinks about the "solution" of the Kosovo crisis forced on Serbia by the "international community," or the equally forceful Palestinian-Jewish "solution" in 1948 agreed on primarily by Western nations? I wonder if what many regard as a wrong done by the "international community" is worth less than a wrong done by, let's say, Russia?
Peter Goldberger, VIENNA

Pointing Fingers Over Georgia
Has Zbigniew Brzezinski [Aug. 25] forgotten that the U.S. invaded Iraq under false pretenses and is still there? Is it so different from the Russian invasion of Georgia?
Bernard Saint-Jacques, NORTH VANCOUVER

Brzezinski is right in demanding that Russia fully align with international cooperation and consensus, but at the same time the U.S. has not lived up to these standards much in recent years. How hypocritical is that? Imagine a separate New Mexico state electing a Russian-educated President and piling up Russian-supplied weapons. If a section of the population there, supported by U.S. Latinos, were to be assaulted by this Russian-focused 
 regime, how would the U.S. handle it? This is not to say Russia should be left alone to deal with things the way that suits it best, but what on earth is the U.S. doing, intervening so frequently when delicate political realities would be much better handled with diplomatic wisdom and reasonable restraint?
Gernot Auer, FRANKFURT, GERMANY

I fear Russia as much as the next guy, but I have a good memory. What would the U.S. do if Russia suddenly started alliances with Mexico, Bolivia, Cuba and other Latin American states and began setting up missiles there? Fortunately, we have an answer. President Kennedy faced the Soviets during the Cuban missile crisis. Why should the Russians be the ones to blame for the current crisis? We ought to look in the mirror, and at the Texas cowboy in the White House.
Albert Reingewirtz, HAVERTOWN, PA., U.S.

Both Russia and Georgia are guilty of atrocities. However, Georgia's heavy shelling of South Ossetia, including civilian areas, must preclude it from being seen as a victim. I would expect that type of language from Fox News, but I expect a powerful media outlet like Time to report the truth in an unbiased manner.
Chris Pappas, LUBBOCK, TEXAS

Russia and the West
May I point out that it was only the refusal of a British general to obey the orders of his nominal superior, American General Wesley Clark, to block Kosovo airport to incoming Russian planes, that ensured that "no shots were fired" [Aug. 25]. Mike Jackson's exact words were "I'm not going to start the Third World War for you."
Siegi Mandelbaum, LONDON

Don't Miss the Goat
I have enjoyed goat dishes for some time but always wondered why goat wasn't more widely available [Aug. 25]. In such a politically correct climate, I salute you for publishing this article.
Tony Thomas, ROCHEPORT, MO., U.S.

Your article espousing the slaughter of goats was repellent. Vegetarianism is advancing because it is irrefutably beneficial for the planet. Soy, nuts, beans, flax and grains can easily supplant animal protein. Spare the goats and enjoy some oats.
Brien Comerford, GLENWIEW, ILL., U.S.

• Fix the Vote!; You, Too, Can Adore the Snore; A Question of Class; One Size Does Not Fit All; The Ethnic Divide