PUBLIC FORUM CAN'T CHANCE IT.

Re ``Kerry for president'' (Editorial, Oct. 24):

What in the senator's background would lead you to believe that he is capable of governing this nation, especially in these perilous times? You say that you ``hope'' that he will bring change. Would that change somehow make things better? You want us to trust a man who voted against Desert Storm?

Hoping won't make him be able to stick to a decision after he finds out that it may not be popular. Do you really want us to elect someone who doesn't have the qualifications, other than a good sales pitch, to the toughest government job in the land? These are not the times that we can take a chance on someone with this record.

- Marcus C. Kourtjian

Northridge

Campaign of fear

Re ``Kerry for president'' (Editorial, Oct. 24):

I continue to be amazed and appalled at the manner in which George W. Bush has manipulated this country into a nation governed not by historically democratic principles, but by fear. No intelligent American could deny that terrorism is not to be ignored by any means, however, Bush has built his entire re-election campaign upon this issue and only pays lip service to everything else that matters.

I hope the Daily News, by its endorsement of John Kerry, will influence other concerned Americans to vote intelligently and responsibly.

- Char De Graeve

Glendale

No surprise

Re ``Kerry for president'' (Editorial, Oct. 24):

It is no surprise that your editor supports John Kerry. However, we are at war, and Kerry has a weak record on defense over the years since Vietnam. Moreover, he publicly maligned his fellow sailors, accusing them of war crimes, while the enemy had our men at their mercy in prisoner-of-war camps, thus placing them in severe jeopardy.

- Emil L. Henen

Northridge

You're right, this time

Congratulations. Your ``Kerry for president'' editorial says it all.

I rarely if ever agree with anything your paper editorializes about, but with Sunday's most interesting assessment, I give you high marks for finally understanding what the vast majority of clear-minded Americans who love our country have been thinking all along. With Kerry and Edwards, there is hope for a saner world.

- Keith Evans

Studio City

Not much promise

Re ``Kerry for president'' (Editorial, Oct. 24):

According to your endorsement of John Kerry, unity and harmony would solve the enormous threat of terrorism. With your thinking, there would not have been an attack on 9-11 if a large majority of Americans had been united behind one candidate in 2000 and the French, Germans and Russians ``liked'' us more.

A John Kerry presidency would leave around 50 percent of Americans still polarized, angry and without hope, but may make some Europeans happier. And certainly the terrorists. As for Kerry's promises to do things ``smarter,'' the past predicts the future, and Kerry's record does not promise much.

- Annmarie Thomas

Burbank

Fear sells

Re ``Kerry for president'' (Editorial, Oct. 24):

While reading all of the letters complaining about the Daily News' endorsement of John Kerry for president, I noticed that not one right-wing opinion discussed the overall winner of the debates. I also noticed how these opinions have been sold on the politics of fear and defend the current mediocrity and divisiveness in the White House.

By nature, human beings are reluctant to accept change and resist it. We are motivated to change only if the discomfort to change is less than the discomfort of the current situation. Ask yourself - haven't you had enough discomfort in this administration? If not, you must be numb.

- Jack McMahon 

Van Nuys

Vietnam syndrome 

Re ``Kerry for president'' (Editorial, Oct. 24):

I am deeply disappointed in your endorsement of John Kerry. Do you really think he is capable of ``bringing Americans together?'' We are going to have the Vietnam syndrome, in which the country tears itself apart even more, played out all over again if he wins.

- Alexander V. Muller

Granada Hills

We need change

Re ``Kerry for president'' (Editorial, Oct. 24):

I agree with the Daily News; we need change in the White House. John Kerry for president.

- Lou Cozzolino

Canoga Park

Proven leadership

Re ``Kerry for president'' (Editorial, Oct. 24):

Rather than the ``new beginning'' of Libya giving up its nuclear program and Afghanistan holding its first free presidential election ever, you endorse the new beginning of global tests, of law enforcement models and for a goal of ``nuisance'' for the prosecution of the global War on Terror. These are the kind of beginnings that embolden an enemy.

Now is not the time to change administrations on the belief that a new face will bring stability and security to the Middle East. Our enemy has not made war on an administration but on the West. And the West requires proven leadership that is consistent and clear. What you call ``blunders and arrogance,'' I call resolve and commitment to stay the course.

- Ted Baader

Valencia

A better future

Re ``Kerry for president'' (Editorial, Oct. 24):

I will feel much safer with John Kerry as president than I do now. Faith is an important source of strength and guidance in all our lives, but George W. Bush uses his faith to feel righteous and prideful. If he truly believes that, due to divine guidance or otherwise, he can make no mistakes, then he has no understanding of the consequences of his actions.

He behaves as if he has no concern that Iraq may be leading us to World War III. Perhaps he wants Armageddon, but those of us who love life and our country, and believe in a better future, do not.

- Alexis Roworth

Los Angeles 

Like Lincoln

Re ``Kerry for president'' (Editorial, Oct. 24):

In your endorsement of Kerry you quoted Abraham Lincoln's ``a nation divided ...'' as one of your reasons, yet you conveniently ignore that Lincoln led this country into a very unpopular war. There were riots in the streets of New York over the draft, there were mass defections in the army after the battle of Fredricksburg, there was failure after failure on the battlefield, and Lincoln even faced a former army commander in the 1864 election.

Lincoln held firm in his belief and finally settled on a general whose philosophy of war was the same as his - kill the enemy, kill the enemy and kill them some more until there are none left to kill. Lincoln is a shining example of courage, strength and resolve, which sounds a lot more like our current president and not his opponent.

- Donovan Weir

Chatsworth

Electoral College 

Re ``Electoral College is so last century'' (Viewpoint, Oct. 17):

I say no to any change to our voting system and the Electoral College. Our forefathers decided that there could be an unbalance of area necessities if only each person were to be counted, i.e. New York (at the time) had more people than, say, the Carolinas. They could overwhelm the Carolinas' desires.

So to help balance the needs of all the people and areas, they came up with the Electoral College. We have the same problem today. Each coastline has the majority of people, compared to the ``flyover'' country. The coasts have most of the factories, government workers, etc. They could control what happens in, say, Montana. Further, the voters are usually controlled by unions in this area and seem not to want personal liberty or independence.

- Charles Dusheck

Chatsworth