Resolving the Split Between President and Congress

It was wonderful to read the Opinion page article "Divided Government and Governmental Gridlock," July 9. Although a lifelong Republican, I'm going to vote for the Democratic presidential candidate this year because the nation will benefit more from a government that functions than it would with an administration whose policies, though similar to my own, can never see the light of day because of a hostile Congress.

Government by stalemate of the type we have now and which the voters are so fed up with has its roots in the attitude, "I'll vote for him but I'm going to send ol' Charlie down there to keep an eye on him." This primitive and simplistic concept goes in a straight line to a government divided between the two parties. Hopefully the voters are learning from bitter experience to become more sophisticated.

American voters should treat the ballot as if it has only one square for president, vice president, senator and congressman and throw the rascals (party) out if it fails to perform. Mahlon J. Saxon, Charles Town, W. Va.

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