Critiquing the Last Debate

I do not care about "Joe the Plumber" ["A Hard-Hitting Final Round," front page, Oct. 16]. What about Josephine? Both of the presidential campaigns target "Middle America." The campaigns apparently see this so-called battleground demographic as overwhelmingly white and male. Yawn.

I protest on behalf of America's women, who often work two or more jobs (one of which may be caring for husbands and children) while striving for education, balancing chores with the demands of work outside the home and, to top it off, wondering whether they are getting equal pay for equal work. I am disturbed by "Joe" and the two campaigns.

I will graduate soon with a PhD from American University. I know women in my field are paid less than men. I know that as a woman, wife, mother and scholar, the challenges I will face in obtaining tenure are different from the challenges that the men around me will face.

I have worked as a waitress, third-shift staffer in a grocery store, secretary and fast-food-restaurant employee. I know how fortunate I am to be achieving my educational dreams. When the campaigns focus on some "Joe" whose life holds no resemblance to mine, I fear that neither Sen. Barack Obama's nor Sen. John McCain's promises about education and employment will come true. I hope I am not the last of a generation to be able to overcome her lower-than-working-class upbringing in Middle America. If I am, I will be even more depressed than I was after hearing Wednesday night's debate.

KIM MOLONEY

Reston

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It was disconcerting after Wednesday's presidential debate that television commentators spent twice as much time on what Sen. John McCain had said as they spent on what Sen. Barack Obama had said, and they kept saying that Mr. McCain did better than he had done in the previous debates. Who cares? It was obvious that it was Mr. Obama in the last debate who held the initiative, decisively put Mr. McCain in his place for his negative attacks, and stayed poised, clear and presidential.

JAMES ADLER

Cambridge, Mass.

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As I watched the final presidential debate, I thought both senators performed admirably. What I really didn't like was Sen. Barack Obama's contemptuous smile, which he displayed several times while Sen. John McCain was speaking.

It struck me as supercilious, disrespectful, arrogant and just plain snarky.

LYNN LEWIS

Vienna