In reference to the Sept. 28 letter in The Vicksburg Post by Ms. Thelma Sims Dukes, I am so glad to see that there are some enlightened people out there about the accomplishments of Sen. Obama who are not afraid to come forward and be heard.

When I read the letter calling Sen. Obama sinister and the spewing of all the lies about the man, I felt like I had to write my own letter to try and set the record straight also. Then it dawned on me that it doesn’t matter how much you try to diffuse all the lies about the man, there are people out there with nothing better to do than to make up more lies about him.

I know that there are some out there who are not going to vote for Sen. Obama purely because of his race. That is their right, ignorant as it may be.

Let’s take a look at what has happened to our economy over the past eight years under a Republican president:

1. We were led into a war with Iraq with the misconception that they had WMDs. This turned out to be a lie and more than 4,000 brave soldiers have given their lives.

2. The economy is in a shambles, unemployment has risen from 4 percent to 6.1 percent.

3. Wall Street is a mess. Major banking institutions are closing almost weekly.

The way our economy is right now the democratic candidate for president should be ahead in all polls by 20 to 30 points or more, yet all polls show that the race is close. And this in no small part is surely to racism. If Barak Obama were white and if his name were Steve Logan or something like that, then the Republican party would virtually have no chance of winning the White House again.

There are some people who just can’t see an African-American as president of the United States. They would rather we continue down this dismal road we are on than to vote for change and elect a black man to the office. This election is going to let us know just how far we, as African-Americans, have come in this country.

James E. Montgomery, Vicksburg

Making Mississippi blue

In my life, Mississippi has always been red or dark red. Polls indicate this year will be no different. However, simple math shows Obama supporters should not count Mississippi out.

Mississippi’s population has about 2.2 million potential voters. Assuming a 55 percent turnout, that makes 1.2 million people actually voting, approximately 70,000 more than in 2004.

Assuming 1.2 million voters and that since the population of Mississippi is 37 percent black, that 37 percent of the voters will be black. Assume national trends continue and black voters trend 95 percent for Obama, that means blacks will go 429,000 for Obama and 22,500 for McCain.

This leaves 769,500 voters. If Obama pulls 25 percent of these voters, he will beat McCain 621,500 to 599,500, or 50.8 percent to 49 percent.

A recent poll shows 14 percent of Mississippi whites are voting for Obama. That’s only 10 percent short, so it’s crunch time. Get on the phone. Walk your neighborhood.

Rodney Hopper II, Waxahachie, Texas

Safety or popularity?

Regardless of what the American people think of the candidates running for president, the foremost thing that should be on their minds in addition to the economy is the job of commander in chief. Is it to keep America safe, or make America popular?

They don’t have to be mutually exclusive, but what if the Democrats place popularity abroad above security at home. Something to think about.

Wilbur Ruhl, Vicksburg

Mind games are working

As a psychologist I seldom comment on politics, but I feel compelled to address how effectively Barack Obama’s advisers have rubricized John McCain.

Rubricized means to be casually classified, i.e., for one to be deprived of individuality, his uniqueness, his difference from all others, his special identity.

Obama’s advisers have, on the other hand, made a special effort to create his “uniqueness” for president. Noted further is the Democrat Party’s emphasis on offering something “bigger than we are,” to be awed by events, and the commitment for a new, non-churchly, imperial government.

Ignorance is bliss and creates a pseudo-stupidity, but the informed voter should at least be aware of each candidate’s “political packaging” by shrewd marketers that know how to play on the fears and anxieties of voters.

While the faces and the times change, the tune to the song remains the same for those of us who have a knowledge of history. No need to appeal to reason, just stir up the emotions of the masses to gain one’s aims is the conventional wisdom of both political parties. Vested interests shamefully provide financial support from institutional trust funds for this circus and they could care less about which animal they ride to the bank. 

M. Selby Parker Sr., Clinton

Time for a reprieve

I was a John McCain supporter in 2000 and have a military background. McCain’s obvious transformation into a Bush clone and Rove protege, as well as his changes on basic issues such as ethics reform, abortion, taxation and  the role of the religious right, shows that this is not the same man that I supported.

I take issue with most of the simplistic, incredibly malicious and factually incorrect letters of George Mitchell. We should now know what happens when you elect an unintelligent, ill-educated person who is ruled by his emotions or “his gut.”

Obama excelled at the best schools in the land from Punaho in Hawaii through Harvard.  “Elite” is being used as an adjective of derision, but don’t we want and deserve the best (elite) to help lead this country? When describing Navy Seals or Army Rangers, “elite” is good.  And if “elite” means that Obama is among the best of the best, then we are all better off for it.

The main problem with electing McCain is that he comes with baggage from the Bush administration. If he could clean house and come in with only his own people, I might be more at ease.

I love America too much to go through another four years of national and international pain and suffering. Our standing in the world is the lowest it has ever been.

Let the new guys have a chance to restore the United States to its rightful place in the world and, more important, make our society a better place for each of us.

Kelly Loyacono, Vicksburg