Letters to the editor

Gov. Palin doesn't speak for this woman

Sarah Palin as president would be a real extension of the Bush presidency because her beliefs are right in line with President Bush's.

She is not, as has been said, an expert on energy. She is an expert on oil, and wants to extend our dependence on it. Her background is working with oil companies, just as Bush's was. I've not heard a word from her concerning alternatives to oil.

She doesn't believe that global warming has been influenced by human behavior, just as Bush believes, so I can't imagine her initiating any bold moves to change our behavior to help avoid the climate disaster for which it looks like we are headed.

She has traveled very little and has little if no global experience, just as our present president. This, I believe, was the basis for so many of the disastrous decisions Bush made in his first term, and we don't need a repeat of that.

One difference is that she is a hunter, which is good, but she also is a staunch supporter of the "sport" of shooting bears and wolves from airplanes. I question the judgment of anyone who feels this is a sport.

It is reasonable to look at Sarah Palin as president, given McCain's age and family history. She could be president. Sarah Palin isn't a maverick. She is just more of the same we've had for the last ruinous eight years. We can't afford another four year extension of that presidency. Governor Palin is a woman, but she doesn't speak for me.

RITA VALENT

Dayton

Sees a liberal bias in stories

This is a political season, therefore one expects there to be a lot of pro and con thrown around, but over the past couple of years all I've been able to find in the Appeal is con. Contrary to our President, our governor, our state representatives and anyone who all happens to be of that political party. Conversely the other party is propped up and embellished daily. This would be one thing on the opinion page, but it runs throughout the paper, day in and day out.

I realize that most of these pieces are directly from the wire service but I am sure that options exist to this form of bias, which is most notable from the Associated Press. There is not much that you print from John L. Smith of the Las Vegas Journal which is of value, he's a one trick pony who pushes the same mantra in every column, Pro Harry, Con Jim.

I am not a newspaper person, however basic business instinct tell me that this bias approach to news reporting will eventually cause only those who share your bias to pick up the paper. Say good-bye to at least half of your potential customers, and half of your ad revenue. No wonder shareholder value in the newsprint industry plummets while conservative news sources are riding high, newsprint has eliminated half of the story, and allowed journalists to become cheerleaders instead of reporters.

BOB BRUMMER

Genoa

Palin sounded like President Bush

After watching her "first speech" to America last night, I couldn't help but smirk to myself. Not because I liked her, not because I liked the punches to Obama, but because I knew the same person who wrote her speech last night writes President Bush's.

I wondered, did she actually say anything that she had thought of on her own? Yes, I could tell. She is already one of them a "Washington buddy."

Boy, McCain really thought out this pick. He is trying to get the "sympathy vote" from America, I thought.

Yes, she seemed very smart. But I would really like to see her own thoughts on the issues, instead of spending all of her time trying to make people like her by putting down the Democrats.

And John McCain, yes, he was a war hero. But so were so many other men and women in this country. Does that make them a good president? I give him a lot of credit for what he went through in Vietnam. Along with all of the other many war heroes. Kudos to them!

But what about healthcare? Gov. Palin, what and how are you going to help the middle class? Are we going to stay forgotten for the next four years? We must do something different this election or we will not have a middle class in this country anymore.

There will be the very rich, and very poor. What will separate us from the Communist countries we hear about everyday on the news? A woman vice president?

BARBARA SCOTT

Carson City