In his June 22 letter (“GOP has little hope of beating Obama”), Evan Beck of South Portland made a weak argument against a Republican defeating Barack Obama next year.

He wrote that “the majority of Americans approve of the job he is doing.”

Additional Photos

Republican candidates, from left, Rick Santorum, Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, Tim Pawlenty and Herman Cain are shown at a June 13 debate in New Hampshire. The more conservative ones would do the best against Obama, a reader says. The Associated Press

The Rasmussen daily tracking poll shows Obama’s job approval numbers have not been above 51 percent since January of this year. Before that they were in the 40s for over a year.

Any Republican seeking to defeat Obama needs to be conservative in order to appeal to the American people. Americans are conservative in their views ,and I wouldn’t consider the majority of Americans as fringe.

Obama’s socialist agenda itself has proven catastrophic. Obamacare has been found unconstitutional in court and highly unpopular. This disaster has been rejected by around 66 percent of Americans.

The well-planned covert operation to destroy Osama bin Laden by Leon Panetta’s CIA and the military wasn’t orchestrated by the man sitting in the Oval Office. His foreign policy is deplorable. World peace, like man-made global warming, is non-existent.

Republicans don’t need to focus on “moderates.” Republicans don’t need to focus on “independents” thinking they will be the key “moderate” group delivering victory.

Moderates don’t deliver victory. Ronald Reagan ran as a conservative and won handily twice. George H.W. Bush lost after drifting away from the right (“no new taxes”). Gerald Ford was moderate and lost. George W. Bush ran as a conservative twice and won.

Bob Dole and John McCain were moderates and got slammed. When conservatives run, conservatives rush to the polls in droves. Remember the Reagan Democrats? Americans expect the president to reflect their conservatism.

Being a good candidate is about exposing weaknesses, and in 2012 the Republican candidate will have no problem keeping exposed the weaknesses of Barack Obama and thereby winning the election.

Jones Gallagher

North Berwick

British medical care far better than column said

Regarding Cal Thomas’ June 9 column on the National Health Service (“Why import Britain’s social problems?”), please note that in 1945, a socialist government was elected in the United Kingdom, and one of its acts was to establish the National Health Service.

A 1948 pamphlet explained to voters what the new NHS would do: “It will provide you with all medical, dental and nursing care. Everyone – rich or poor, man woman or child – can use any part of it. There are no charges, except for a few special items. There are no insurance qualifications. But it is not a ‘charity.’ You are all paying for it, mainly as taxpayers, and it will relieve your money worries in time of illness.”

A civilized and humane idea, expressed in plain and simple language. When it is good, there is no need for fanfare or embellishment. How long could private health insurers look such an idea, and such principles, in the eye before looking sheepishly away and hiring a lobbyist to make something up?

Thomas gathers sensational headlines – some from the very newspapers, incidentally, that opposed the NHS in 1945 – in a frenzied attempt to mislead his readers into thinking that hunger, deprivation, incompetence, death panels and Third World conditions are characteristics of the NHS.

None of that is remotely true, so the only question is, why would he make these things up?

I suspect his loathing – and, as a conservative, his fear – stems not from failings of the NHS (which of course has its flaws), but on the contrary, its very success, and from the simple and indisputable fact that the commitment made to British citizens in 1948 has been kept for over 60 years.

Robert Gillies

Yarmouth

Local Alzheimer’s campaign seeks support in September

As the spotlight shifts from disease to disease, we can’t help but recognize one disease that is growing at too fast a rate and robbing many of their lives, spouses, parents, siblings, and grandparents.

The public, and by that I mean you and me, needs to recognize and focus the spotlight on Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s is a complex, progressive disease that destroys brain cells, leading to memory loss, impaired reasoning or judgment, disorientation, difficulty learning and decline in abilities.

In the state of Maine, more than 37,000 people have Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia. More then 147,000 friends or family members provide unpaid care and support for these individuals.

Unless something is done, Alzheimer’s is on track to be a health crisis the likes of which this country has never seen.

Left unchecked, Alzheimer’s incidence will triple by 2050, affecting as many as 16 million people and costing $1.1 trillion. The time to act is now.

Fortunately, local resources are available to help families affected by dementia. The Alzheimer’s Association’s Maine chapter offers comprehensive programs to people with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers.

Services include a 24/7 helpline, 40-plus community support groups all over Maine, education programs for families and professionals, care consultation, public policy advocacy and much more.

I do not accept a future that includes Alzheimer’s disease. Please join me in the fight by participating in Walk to End Alzheimer’s taking place at Payson Park on Sept. 24.

I will be walking in honor of my grandmother, who is living with dementia, and on behalf of those who can no longer speak for themselves. The end of Alzheimer’s starts with each of us.

For more information, call (800) 272-3900 or visit www.alz.org/maine.

Lea Marie Rust

Falmouth

Professor’s view of budget contained correct criticism

Thank you for carrying Orlando Delogu’s column on June 8 (“LePage tax cut plan ignores need to tax the wealthy more”).

He puts into words more skillfully than I would my own opinion on the governor’s tax reform proposal.

The new law is unfair and unwise.

Madge Baker

Shapleigh

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