Your Scrapbook item “Worried About Dole? Join the Crowd” (July 8 & 15) reports the breathtaking news that Bob Dole is having trouble making his own case. This follows some umpteen other reports in your magazine making the same point. Enough already!
Whatever your animus against Dole, the time has long since come to stop complaining about his deficiencies and instead start making the case for him that he hasn’t made for himself. It really shouldn’t be too difficult. Start with the fact that he was a Goldwater man in 1964. Then give him long-overdue credit for being primarily responsible for attaching inflation-indexing to the Reagan tax cuts. Finally, give him credit for 35 years of being one of the most consistent, most important supporters of a strong defense and a vigorous, disciplined foreign policy.
Even if Dole doesn’t set movementconservative hearts aflutter, he would return competence, common sense, and a conservative tilt to the White House — and, importantly, begin to restore genuine respect for the presidency.
QUIN HILLYER, WASHINGTON, DC
