Quotes of the Day
McCain: Temper of the Times
Although I am troubled by the refusal of Senator John McCain to answer many of the questions asked of him, the emphasis Time placed on that aspect rather than on his answers on the issues is another example of the media’s liberal bias [Sept. 8]. I was disappointed that the vast majority of your interview with McCain was devoted to his “prickly” attitude, when the full version of the interview on Time.com had much more substance.
Alanna Rice, Council Bluffs, Iowa
Your special issue on the Republicans bent over backward to present McCain as an honorable man, but the transcript of your bizarre interview, in which McCain refused to answer simple and legitimate questions, was frightening. It showed a resentful, uncommunicative and uncooperative McCain who was uncomfortable with the straight talk he used to be known for and who had a chip on his shoulder the size of a sequoia. Such a volatile temperament renders him unfit to have his finger anywhere near the Button. Lee Otterholt, Laguna Beach, California
TIME’s compilation on Senator McCain is brilliant and timely. It extols the honesty and integrity of McCain, and it all rings naturally true. Real courage comes from inborn convictions, not training. McCain certainly has the right stuff. Our country needs a President who has guts, not popularity. Thayalan Cumarasamy, Cherry Hill, New Jersey
Why couldn’t McCain simply provide his definition of honor? He misjudged this opportunity by failing to realize that the answer was for those who have not read his books. Read your book, McCain? We’ve decided to read Obama’s. Jay Fenwick and Cindy Norris, Boone, North Carolina
I used to think TIME always tried to be even-handed when reporting on politics, but this year it seems that you are leaning toward the Democratic Party much more than the Republicans. The issue on the Democrats glorified the Democrats and came down hard on the Republicans. The one on the Republicans did exactly the same thing! I hope you will come to your senses before election time. Donald Prisby, San Diego, CaliforniaMcCain has admitted his humanness and his mistakes. I like goodness, mercy, honor, faithfulness, doing the right thing and, in McCain’s case, being tough enough to weather the troubles sure to face him as President. None of these qualities guarantee success, but they do provide the foundations for sound decisions. Malcolm Koch, Waldport, Oregon
Though I differ with McCain on specific issues, I’ve always admired his maverick spirit and straight-talk approach to the press. But his interview with TIME raises grave concerns. McCain could have defused legitimate questions about his campaign’s new discipline in any number of ways, but to put reporters from a major newsmagazine in the deep freeze betrays a fundamental lack of self-control, not to mention candor. Do we really want to elect such a mercurial individual as our Commander in Chief? Owen Prell, Mill Valley, California
in your recent issue featuring barack Obama, he is portrayed as an all-around person fit for the job of being the next President of the United States. Your articles on McCain did anything but that. He does not get credit for anything that he has accomplished. While I understand there is freedom of the press, there still needs to be freedom of choice. Rivky Levy, Brooklyn, New York
McCain’s statement that he follows “the philosophy and traditions of Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan” demonstrates that he is either uninformed about history or is counting on the ignorance of others. Although it is true that all three former Presidents were Republicans, Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt were social liberals whose political ideology had far more in common with today’s Democrats. If McCain feels compelled to call on the ghosts of former presidents to bolster his conservative credentials, he can keep Reagan on the list but if he values historical accuracy, he ought to replace Lincoln and TR with Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover. Steven R. Butler, Richardson, Texas
Mrs. Maverick In her article on Cindy McCain, Nancy Gibbs writes, “Google her name plus trophy wife, and you’ll get something like 18,000 hits.” Actually, you get 21,600. But I don’t know just what this is supposed to indicate. If you Google “Michelle Obama” and “trophy wife,” you get 23,600 hits. Frank Wershing, Dingmans Ferry, Pennsylvania
Adversity and Character Re Michael Kinsley’s essay on politicians and personal tragedy: Kinsley, you’ve got to get out more [Sept. 8]. It is human nature to take the easy path. Keeping a Down-syndrome baby or refusing preferential treatment in prisoner-of-war conditions is a measure of character. That’s what it takes for me to choose a candidate, facing an uncertain world with insufficient data. Some can say what they’ll do under pressure; others have demonstrated what they did under the intense heat of reality. Troy Hammond, Ashburn, Virginia
Thanks to Kinsley’s essay, i now know why I never progressed beyond 15 years as a low-level city official and 55 years in a moderately successful broadcasting career. My father worked hard to make a decent living. He had no alcohol, drug or gambling problems, and he was home every night for a home-cooked meal. My mother stayed home and focused on keeping a good house and raising her two children. My two children are doing well in their chosen work. What chance do I have? Don Riggs, Bellevue, Washington
Michael Phelps Rules!I disagree with mark reese’s comments in Inbox regarding swimmer Michael Phelps [Sept. 8]. It may be true that Phelps had the advantages of technology in breaking Mark Spitz’s speed records; however, Phelps—with his laser-sleek swimsuits and streamlined swimming caps—competed for his eight medals against other athletes with the exact same advantages. Phelps won those medals fair and square and should not have to justify his victories to those who think he should have done it the “old-fashioned way.” Janice Heidt, Houston
Home Births: Safety FirstRe your article on the trend toward giving birth at home [Aug. 18]: Home-birth advocates are of course correct when they point out that birth is a natural event. But they neglect to articulate its violence and danger. Surely, in this modern age, we want to protect each new-born infant with all means at our disposal? Why return to precarious, primitive ways of giving birth—however well-motivated we might be—when we can rely on a century of accumulated medical and scientific knowledge, technology and experience? Marilyn Hunt, Belair, South Australia
In Defense of Wine’s TerroirIn “Fifty States of Wine,” we have more underinformed pabulum [Sept. 8]. I am no snob, but I expect what’s in the bottle to accurately reflect the wine’s place of origin, traditions, agricultural history and, yes, terroir, which describes all of the preceding. Neither Joel Stein nor Fred Franzia has enough understanding of the subject to speak of it intelligently and should not be relied on to teach curious readers. David Moore, Moore Brothers Wine Co. Pennsauken, New Jersey
Stein the wine writer apparently finds it acceptable to use “good” as the primary descriptor of wine. In his attempt at discussing terroir, he lost all credibility with serious wine enthusiasts. Perhaps he should drink out of the spit bucket more often, as it seems to be to his taste. Katherine Dozier, Washington, D.C.
The Snore SolutionRe Sanjay Gupta’s article on remedies for snoring [Sept. 1]: My wife was on the verge of moving out of our bedroom when a lady in a hotel in the backblocks of Tasmania told us about a homeopathic preparation called Snorestop, which decongests and reduces tissue swelling in the sinuses. Eight years on, we are still sleeping in the same bed. It may not work for everyone, but it sure saved us. David Shannon, Auckland
Changing of the CodesDaniel Williams’ artice on the Maori and Pacific Islander presence in “The Country’s Premier Winter Sports Competition” applies to rugby league and rugby union, but the dominant football code nationwide is Australian Rules [Sept. 8]. In that code Maori and Pacific Islanders are seldom seen, but the number of Aboriginal players is growing rapidly. Jeffrey Graham, Geelong, Victoria
Tom Wolfe’s Long, Strange TripDespite his claim in “10 questions” that he never used LSD, Tom Wolfe told Rolling Stone magazine that, in fact, he had taken acid once during the writing of his book The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test [Sept. 8]. He said, “It scared the hell out of me.” It seems Wolfe has inadvertently verified his assertion that the drug culture “inevitably leads to a total lack of intellect.” Or maybe he just forgot. Chase Martin, Colleyville, Texas
