First of all, until extremely pressured to do so, you did not have any intention of lowering taxes. Your record on that speaks for itself. As a matter of fact, your 'expressed' intent to do so was not made public until the very recent past.

What was it Kemp said of you? "Dole never found a tax hike he didn't like." Therefore, one must assume your promise to do so now is just a political ploy, in other words, political crap, in an attempt to gain votes.

Second, you picked a man as your running mate that this writer would dread having as president in the event of your demise. You have intimated how inept he is as a politician and a thinking man.

How did you state it when Kemp publicly began backing Forbes? Oh, yes, "Last time we're dealing with the quarterback." And, both you and the writer, along with any thinking American, know you meant every negative connotation possible with that statement.

As if that isn't enough, eight people from your own party opposed you in the primaries. All eight felt you were not the right man for the nomination. All eight did everything possible to prove you weren't the right man. Therefore, it is apparent your own party just picked out the lesser of the evils from its ranks.

Also indicated by the Republican Party's goings-on in the primaries, and since gaining control of the House, is that yours is a very fragmented party that basically agrees to disagree except when devising some plan for getting a few more votes. Hence, Kemp as vice-president????

You have proven you personally will do anything to get votes. Thus, your selection or approval of "the quarter-back" along with promised tax cuts. These indicate you can't stand behind your convictions and true beliefs. Do you really think the majority of people in this nation think you will stand behind your promisses if you were president?

Fifth, you didn't want to increase minimum wage. A suggestion to you and other Republicans is that you give up your high salaries and retirements and try it on minimum wage for a few years. You might start singing a different tune then.

Sixth, you fought against every improvement the Democrats tried to instill. As a matter of fact, during the budget battle, you behaved quite childlishly by walking out on the debate. Furthermore, you refused to negotiate any further. If you had difficulties as president, would you just walk out and refuse to negotiate?

Seventh, this writer will never forget the look of vengence and thought you conveyed to many of us following the certainty of your loss to Mr. Clinton in l992.

While being interviewed, you stated that you were going to get your party back together and do everything possible to block the new administration. Did that really sound like a man that has America's best interests at heart?

The writer doesn't know if you were really a war hero or not. At any rate, if you're now using your wound/s to get votes, forget it. There are hundreds of Viet Nam veterans who are far worse off than you that aren't exploiting their injuries and maimings.

Should you choose to push your wound/s for votes, it would even result in the writer, if he were a partisan-type person and in the Republican party, to not vote for you and to campaign for one of the other parties.

If that isn't enough to answer your question, Dole, there is the certainty you are going to give more reasons for your not being elected President between now and November. Politically screwing up is also part of your past history.

Special Addendum: Actually makes me wonder just how the hell Dole got where he did. Don't figure.