I am astounded at the many Americans who continue to support the presidential candidacy of Barack Hussein Obama, a U.S. senator who, in his very brief career, has accomplished absolutely nothing of note. Normally, voters try to select someone who has integrity, character, knowledge and high morals, someone with the experience to lead the most powerful country in the world, someone they can trust. Obama has demonstrated none of these. His position on important issues shifts with political expediency.

One can judge a person by his associates. In Obama’s case this includes terrorist Bill Ayers, Chicago “machine” politicians, anti-American, anti-white “preacher,” the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, crooked real estate mogul and convicted felon Tony “the Fixer” Rezko, who “fixed” a deal to get a house for Obama at a bargain price, Madeleine Talbot, leader of ACORN, a radical left-wing group now under investigation for voter fraud, plus Barney Frank, Nancy Pelosi, Chris Dodd and Harry Reid, left-wing member of Congress whose lack of oversight is primarily responsible for the failure of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The list also includes Franklin Raines, Tim Howard and Jim Johnson, all Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac officials who cooked the books, destroyed the companies, and left with millions of dollars in unearned compensation and “golden parachutes” and radical leftists George Soros and David Geffen, plus Nation of Islam Leader Louis Farrakhan.

How have we come to the point that a greenhorn like Obama stands a good chance of becoming our president? The politicians and business elites have gained almost total control over the media, who are now their servants and work unremittingly to mold public opinion in whatever direction serves their masters’ best interests.

Although you may not consider John McCain and Sarah Palin to be the most suitable people to lead our nation, there can be no doubt of their patriotism and love of this country. So, before you step into the voting booth and vote for Obama, ask yourself one question: Am I completely insane?

Malcolm Allred

Vicksburg

Speaking from experience

The opinion you have of America is dependent upon your vantage point. African-Americans have not been privileged to have the advantages that whites and others have had in this country. The indignation shown by whites at Michelle Obama having a “first time in my adult life I am really proud of my country” moment  fails the test of sincerity. The indignation is not real.

America knows of the disfranchisement and injustices that have been committed against blacks in the  name of white supremacy. Whites have remained sanguine about, silent during and often supportive of so much injustice. But, it is not the injustices that bother them; it is blacks’ remembrance of the injustices that rankles them.

Obama’s wife, Michelle Obama, is a cum laude graduate of Princeton University and a Harvard-educated lawyer. Until recently, she was the vice president of the University of Chicago Medical Center. She will fit in quite nicely in the hall of first ladies.

In George Mitchell’s Oct. 12 letter, Mitchell said that Cindy McCain would be the “ultimate first lady.”

A former drug addict and adulteress, Cindy McCain conducted herself with “dignity and grace” until she took to the podium to attack Obama  on his no vote on funding for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.  That “cold chill up her back“ at Obama’s no vote should certainly have felt like a blizzard when her husband voted on different legislation to fund the troops. They both voted no for different reasons.

Thelma Sims Dukes

Vicksburg

Ties to leftists are strong

During appearances at the Saddleback Church in California, John McCain addressed questions quickly. Life begins at conception and marriage is between a man and a woman. Sen. Obama skated and waffled about abortion and said it was above his pay grade. He also supports same-sex marriage. Up to then, I was not excited about either candidate; however based on this debate, Sen. McCain’s views lined up with the Holy Bible and mine; I could now support him.

But I still wondered who Barrack Obama was. He has no real leadership experience, nor has he accomplished anything in the U.S. Senate, where he has been a member for four years. What he does have is charisma, a gift of oratory and great potential, some say.

It then logically follows that if potential and not experience is the key in evaluating this candidate, his character and beliefs need to be examined as well as his associates. For 20 years he was a member of the Trinity United Church of Christ where the radical Jeremiah Wright was pastor. Wright believes in black-liberation theology, which teaches that African-Americans of today should worship a black Jesus and embrace his liberation teaching and to overthrow the oppression of the imperialist America. Sen. Obama at 30 years old was baptized in this church and certainly had to know its core beliefs and the anti-American sentiments of his pastor.

In Chicago, Obama worked for a community organization guided by the principles of Saul Alinsky, a radical socialist. In his autobiography, Obama states that he had a greater affinity for Malcolm X than the other black radicals and civil rights figures of the 1960s. In 1995, Obama, as well as his pastor, participated in Louis Farrakhan’s Black Muslim organized Million Man March in Washington, D.C. In 1995, Bill Ayers, the former home-grown terrorist, was a co-founder of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge and received a $50 million grant to radicalize students in Chicago. Obama distributed the money and was active with the Challenge for eight years. Recently, the Obama campaign gave $800, 000 to ACORN, a voter registration organization now under investigation in several states for voter fraud.

I believe based on his past statements, experience and associations that his Christian beliefs are shallow and that Obama leans strongly to socialism. Socialism destroys incentive and is the demise of a society. Do we want this kind of man to lead the United States of America as president?

Bill Flathau

Vicksburg

An alternative idea

I met John McCain 52 years ago at Annapolis. He was a friend of my husband’s. While he was a POW, we prayed for him. Often we wondered if we would ever see him alive again. He was then and is now a man worth loving.

We saw him at the class of 1958’s 50th reunion several weeks ago. While there, I talked to Admiral Larson, McCain’s closest friend in the class. I said I was appalled by how much money both campaigns were spending when there was so much need in our country. I said that instead of giving a donation to John’s campaign, I would like to give that money to the food pantry in Warren County, where I live, in John McCain’s name. The food pantry has so many people to feed. Admiral Larson gave me the green light to make a donation in John’s name.

I would like to challenge the supporters of other candidates to match my donation to the Food Pantry in their candidates’ names.

Mary Elsa Hocker

Vicksburg