Letters: Tynes is as ready for V.P. as others who became president

Is Irene Tynes, the mayor of Crescent City, ready to serve as vice president of the United States? That's the question my friend, Steven Yarbrough, asked in his letter to the editor (Sept. 9).

I say, what a great question. And, of course, the answer is a resounding "yes." As mayor of Crescent City, she has made more executive decisions than either of the two candidates for president.

The question is, "Is she qualified?" Well, according to the Constitution, she fits all the qualifications. I presume that she is over 35 years of age and was born in the United States. That's all that's required to become president of the United States.

But you ask, "Could she do the job?" I'd say as well as many of our previous presidents. Take a close look at some of the most "qualified" presidents. Lyndon Johnson said we could have both "guns and butter" as he took us to war in Vietnam. Then at the same time, he looked around and discovered that there were poor folks among us, so he instituted his "War on Poverty."

We left Vietnam in the 1970s but after spending billions and billions of dollars, those same poor are with us. I guess you could say we lost the War on Poverty, but no one wants to declare defeat and go home, so after 40 years we are still fighting and losing that war.

Under Jimmy Carter, inflation reached over 20 percent and who could forget those long lines at the gas pump, when gas for our cars was almost impossible to get? His solution to the energy crisis of the time was for us to turn our thermostats down and wear sweaters.

With Bill Clinton as president, he delegated most of the job to Hillary while he was having trouble with his zipper.

Now Steve asks if Irene Tynes, the mayor of Crescent City, is qualified to be vice president. Well, if the past performance of Johnson, Carter and Clinton is any indication of how to do the job of president, I'd say Irene is more than qualified not only to be vice president, but also to be president.

Did I also mention that she is a woman?

Irene, how about it? Let's all shout it all at once, "Irene for President in 2012!"

Bob Berkowitz

Crescent City