Mary Anna Towler asks, "Are Americans smart enough to choose a president?" (Urban Journal, September 10). I pray they are, but....

The way this historic campaign is going says as much, if not more, about a large segment of the American public and the media as it does about the two candidates.

If once again we elect the inferior ticket, if we distract ourselves with soap-opera trivialities instead of pondering the issues that most affect our daily lives, we will have ourselves to blame. Running this country during these disturbing, demoralizing, and dangerous times is not the same as putting on a successful sitcom. Being photogenic, getting off clever one-liners, making great speeches, being witty or sarcastic: all can make for entertaining TV. But this will not pay our bills, provide good health care, or keep us safe.

For that, we need a leader who understands the complexity of the world and rejects a simplistic and dangerous view of problems. We need a president who has the humility and self-confidence to admit it if he makes a mistake and the courage to change when change is needed.

The past eight years have given us a blueprint for the dangers of electing a true believer and rabid ideologue, someone with minimal intellectual curiosity and maximum arrogance, someone who seems to have the better personality. The stakes are too high to act stupidly this November.

And if the media and the campaign advisors continue to wallow in the mud of inflammatory distractions, it is up to us to demand serious debate for these serious times. May the best man win this time. God knows, we need him.

RICK TADDEO, WEBSTER