COLIN POWELL: AN AMERICAN JOURNEY
"It is a thrill to hear a potential presidential candidate speak from the heart, and not from the far right or left." CHRISTOPHER W. BRADLEY North Yarmouth, Maine COLIN POWELL'S BOOK DISCUSSES WHAT is wrong with the U.S. [COVER STORIES, Sept. 18]. I have felt disappointed by our nation's leaders for longer than I care to remember. What's happened to our America? Nothing would please me more than to see General Powell elected President. What he could do for this country's self-esteem would be marvelous. I was recalled to active duty for Desert Storm and served eight months overseas. I never questioned Powell's leadership or decision making then, and I don't now. Those of us who have been in the service realize that even when the uniform has been put away, the service doesn't stop. BRADLEY J. LOWRAN Berkley, Michigan AOL: BJLCJL
WHY ARE THE MEDIA SHOVING POWELL down the throats of Americans? There has been no perceptible popular demand for him to run for President. If it hadn't been for the Gulf War, the public at large would never have heard of him. Is the press promoting him just because he is black or because he's one of the few blacks in the public eye about whom no scandal or wrongdoing has been reported? With the exception of Washington and Eisenhower, generals have made notoriously poor Presidents. EDWARD J. FLICKINGER LaGrange Park, Illinois
POWELL FOR PRESIDENT? HELL, YES! HE would be the first candidate to understand that neither the Democrats nor the Republicans speak for the majority of Americans, and the first to understand that many believe in a moderate, sensible balance of government involvement in our life. Powell is a breath of fresh air to the majority of voting Americans, who distrust and dislike the current crop of elected officials in Washington. BOB FALCONE Colorado Springs AOL: BoBFireman
THE MOST IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTICS in a leader are decisiveness and experience. These are even more significant in a presidential candidate. Colin Powell has neither. Powell for a third-party presidential candidate? No, no, no! CHARLES GREENE Palm Springs, California
HERE IS THE ONE MAN WHO CAN CUT through all the political nonsense and lead America in the right direction. Powell in 1996! CHRIS DIFUSCO Carlisle, Pennsylvania Via E-mail
AS A MILITARY LEADER, POWELL HAS MY utmost respect, and as a book author, he already has my money. But as a candidate, he would have a tough time finding a vote here. Powell's positions on issues are pure politics. Although Powell is talented, a person doesn't get to be Chairman of the Joint Chiefs unless he is a political animal, and his years as a Washington insider are not what the country needs. If Powell intends to follow in the footsteps of another general, let's hope it is MacArthur, not Ike, and that Powell quietly fades away. MIKE HAMMITT Perris, California Via E-mail
IDON'T CARE WHETHER POWELL IS A Republican, Democrat or independent. I don't agree with anyone on 100% of the issues, but I do think the U.S. needs a reasonable, clear-thinking person to eliminate the contentious, nasty attitudes found in Washington today. Powell has got my vote. I also liked Ike. DONALD P. SMITH Mesa, Arizona
MAN OF THE HOUR! COLIN POWELL. PRESIDENT to be or not to be? A black man in the White House. The time has come. GUNVER BUTLER La Crescenta, California