MAIL CALL: A VICTORY FOR GEORGE W. BUSH

I read NEWSWEEK's narrative of the 2004 election with morbid fascination. American political campaigns are a coldblooded board game, with winning the only acceptable reason for participation. Fair play, common decency and the ability to know right from wrong have been purged from consideration. Your reporting team skillfully exposed the underbelly of a process that has lost touch with any human reality. Our citizens, our environment and our world reputation are the big losers in this election. Ultimately, Bush's being re-elected and Kerry's being defeated are meaningless footnotes in a tragedy long in the making and certain in the consequence.
David Bagnard
Garden Valley, Idaho

This is not the first time our nation has been bitterly divided by color. In 1864 the colors were blue and gray. Then there were some fine people in the gray states, but their side, and their cause, were wrong. I believe history will prove in the not-so-distant future what Kerry supporters and world opinion already know--that in 2004, as in 1864, the Blue States had it right.
Annette Chopin Lare
Bethlehem, Pa.

The real reason for the Kerry-Edwards loss is that, in the end, their past actions spoke louder than their current words. Their campaign was not one of substance and real alternatives, but one of smoke and mirrors intended to veil a lack of qualification and a radically left-wing agenda. At the last, they lacked integrity and credibility, and Americans understood. Now Kerry and Edwards can go back to their favorite pastimes--Kerry to his newfound interests in religion and hunting, and Edwards to chasing ambulances.
Russell C. Burchard
Dawsonville, Ga.

Welcome to Bush World, and thank you for riding the World's Worst Nightmare. This ride is not for children, senior citizens, pregnant women, homosexuals, the faint of heart, the chronically or terminally ill, the uninsured, the reasonable or rational, the hopeful, the lower or middle class, nonbelievers, non-Americans and those who are not "with us." Please fasten your seat belt, secure all belongings and be sure to keep your head and arms inside the coaster at all times. Enjoy the ride, Republicans. Everyone else, hold on tight--you're on your own. (Disclaimer: Bush World accepts no responsibility for its actions or their consequences.)
Chip Balzer
Nassau, N.Y.

After reading your Nov. 15 issue, I can only conclude that it makes no difference who runs for president. The winner is determined not by who has better ideas, who tells the truth or who is a better leader, but by who is best able to "stay on message" so as not to confuse the voters. Bush is not a better president than Kerry would have been; he is merely a better puppet.
Sandy Frank
Coralville, Iowa

What this country desperately needs is a third major political party made up of moderates. Many citizens believe they voted for the lesser of two evils, yet now the results are being interpreted by the political elite as representing a mandate. Moderates among both Republicans and Democrats should leave their parties and come together to form a new centrist party. The Republican Party can continue to cater to the religious right, and the Democratic Party to the liberal left. This scenario would undoubtedly appeal to the vast majority of voters. Working within the existing political paradigm as defined by the two parties benefits only the parties and the media--not the citizens of this country.
Scott Carpenter
Portland, Ore.