Letters to the editor: Political marketing

Letter to the Editor

Political marketing

Regarding "Politics and prejudice" (front page, May 16):

Political parties are constantly engaged in marketing their pluses and the other parties' shortcomings. When people market products they constantly weigh ad costs against sales and gross profit. If the figures look good they are encouraged to spend more ad dollars.

Yes, I think prejudice prevails, but I don't think the Republican Party was necessarily prejudiced in its anti-President Barack Obama attacks. Prejudice did, however, make the attacks more believable and therefore more effective, and prompted the party to invest more heavily in this negative approach — just as a marketer is encouraged by a good response to an ad campaign and is apt to repeat it often.

I admire how the guy stood up to the kind of hammering he was subjected to. Proving he's made of tougher stuff than most goes a long way toward discouraging even these last vestiges of prejudice.

Tony Saitta

Apollo Beach

POTUS' pitfalls

Please permit me to disagree with William March's "Politics and prejudice." It is largely false.

Although there is no doubt that racism, unfortunately, still exists, I do not believe that racism is responsible for the dynamic backlash against our president. The uprising against POTUS is predicated largely upon the fact that, in no particular order of importance, he was the most liberal, socialist-leaning senator in Congress; he came out of nowhere to reach historical heights without ever having managed so much as a lemonade stand; and his campaigns were largely funded by what I consider quasi-legal 527 political action committees whose loopholes were largely responsible for his successful campaign and included contributions that enhanced the fraudulent voting machinations by MoveOn.org and ACORN.

I and a multitude of other Caucasian voters would have gladly voted for a black candidate had either Condoleezza Rice or Colin Powell been running for the presidency.

Edward C. Prange

Tampa

Tired of the race card

Regarding "Politics and prejudice": How dare you imply that "prejudice" is the reason for Obama's opinion poll ratings. How about the fact that gas prices are nearing $5 a gallon in some areas, unemployment is 9 percent or that he invites rappers to the White House who speak of killing cops and burning Bush?

I am sick and tired of the race card, and shame on you for printing this. I am a conservative, and I support Herman Cain, who is black , a Republican presidential hopeful, as many white conservatives do.

Elizabeth Barber

Dade City

Struck by Lightning

Articles about the dwindling attendance for the Tampa Bay Rays are as routine as summer rainstorms, but the Rays do little to entice people to get caught up in their excellent team or the great sport of baseball. I was there last year when Matt Garza pitched his no-hitter against the Tigers, and I waited with thousands of other fans for the media to conclude their interviews so he could come out to the mound or at least wave his cap to acknowledge the crowd. He simply disappeared into the dugout.

Every night it is the same drivel between innings, with someone trying to locate a person in a cow outfit or some kid trying to keep track of a "hidden" ball. Truthfully, it is a perpetual commercial between innings, so loudly performed on the big screen that baseball chatter with others is impossible.

Between the inconvenient location of Tropicana Field, very high prices and lousy in-game experience, is it any wonder the attendance is so pathetic, particularly when the TV productions are so well done? And if those numbers are off now, perhaps it has something to do with the Lightning's run for the Stanley Cup. Sports fans go where the excitement is, and the NHL playoffs are far more exciting than watching soda cans race.

William L. Gross

Trinity

Bayshore crash aftermath

On March 20 at 4:30 p.m., as I was riding home on my motorcycle, a car cut me off, slammed on its brakes and turned left in front of me, I believe on purpose, on Bayshore Boulevard at South Brevard Avenue in Tampa. This caused me to skid and hit the curb.

People exercising and driving along Bayshore came to my aid, stopping traffic and giving me first aid. I was pretty torn up due to the injuries. For this, my family and I can never thank you enough. You helped save my life.

To the individual who caused this, what do I say? Thanks for leaving the scene of the accident you caused; for the pain and the broken leg, ribs and face; the thousands of dollars in medical bills; and the loss of my motorcycle; and maybe the loss of my job (I'm a nurse), home and future. Thanks a lot.

Keith Robbins

Winter Haven