Scholars of our politics are urging both political parties to become the leaders of the Forgotten Americans. But what if both political parties bought this recommendation seriously? They would then hardly differ from one another, except in more minor than major ways. Were Americans really united on such a program they would choose which of the parties had the best chance of accomplishing what was generally accepted as a good program. However, the history of political parties, in Europe and here as well, suggests that people do not vote their real interests, at least as pundits define them, but their gut feelings. Workers in Europe never voted massively for socialism and workers in American did not either, often for reasons of prejudice, religious allegiances which had nothing to do with real interests, and a concentration on personalities rather than programs. So I am not persuaded by our political pundits. I suspect that both parties will continue as they are now and have been for the last several decades, led by politicians who neither understand nor care what real Americans are concerned with. I have been voting for presidents since 1960 and when enumerating whom I have voted for I can justify what I chose to do but I cannot pretend to having made, in retrospect, the best decisions.

Norman Ravitch *62
Savannah, Ga.