Lots of variety in presidential race;primaries needed to thin out field

At least 14 well-known Republicans are running for president, with two more expected soon. Mitt Romney, the party’s 2012 candidate, is not in the race.

For Democrats, Hillary Clinton is in front, followed by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. A handful of others say they’re running, and more could join them.

Presidential politics will play an increasing role in our lives for the next 17 months. Do you see it as important, an irritant, or just something that goes on in the background?

With nominating conventions a year or so away, it’s just noise right now. Anything can happen between now and then. Most conservative candidates are too radical to be taken seriously. The “progressive” candidates offer mainstream ideas that can make our lives better, so any one of them would be OK.

— Jon Van Winkle, Fort Worth

Presidential politics affect all aspects of our lives. The president sets the standard for the entire country. Air and water quality, food inspections, court appointments, law enforcement, trade agreements, military, etc. Inexperience and extreme ideology hurt constituents in the end.

— Ralph Walsh, Arlington

Against the backdrop of our beloved front porch and in the presence of our most loyal, ardent, longtime supporters — our two family cats — I proudly announce I will not be a candidate in 2016 for president of the United States of America. But, 2020? Well ...

— Roger Summers, Arlington

Why do some guys run for president when their chances are basically nonexistent? Maybe because they reap huge chunks of money at the expense of taxpayers while they schmooze and socialize to drain the political system for all it’s worth. After they’re rejected, they parlay their heyday romp into post-election speaking engagements, consulting fees and fundraising.

— Patrick Jenkins, Arlington

Selecting the nation’s top executive and most powerful person on the planet is important. But it’s very early in the process, and certainly many see the blather already going on as an irritant.

— Mark Greene, Fort Worth

The GOP candidates remind me of my favorite circus act — when a tiny car roars into the arena, pauses a minute, and then a bunch of clowns jump out.

— Don Martin, Arlington

The growing number of candidates running from both parties is heartening. It means they care about what happens to this country. It also means that each of them believes that he or she has a chance to win. That’s a positive in our cynical world.

— Dave Simon, Grapevine

It’s a dirty business, but it has to be done. The alternative would be to passively give up our autonomy. In any case, the people need to study government and history so as to become informed voters by their own volition instead of only through campaign rhetoric.

— Eva Snapka, Arlington

I see Jeb Bush is getting his feathers ruffled over Donald Trump’s comments on illegal immigration.

Well, Governor, to quote the character Marine Col. Nathan R. Jessup in the movie A few Good Men: “You can’t handle the truth!”

— Paul E. Gabel, Fort Worth

Presidential politics are extremely important this time, and I’m very interested. We need to select a candidate who will restore America’s image in the world and undo the damage done over the past seven years. We need to restore our credibility on the world stage, retreat from the socialist road that we’re on now and stop the class warfare.

— Walter H. Delashmit, Justin

Yes, the upcoming election is extremely important, for if the right person wins we have a chance to reverse the hundreds of wrongs that have been wrought upon the American people.

— Grady Fuller, Kennedale

None of the current GOP contenders could beat Hillary Clinton. As for Bernie Sanders, he, like Clinton, is too old. Americans are tired of the same old candidates.

— Jim Sanderson, Fort Worth

The presidential election could not be more important. If the same number of people who voted for John McCain in 2008 had gotten off their couches in 2012, we wouldn’t have had to suffer through the second term of the worst president in history.

— Ralph M. Gill, Gruene

Don’t vote for someone because of name recognition, good looks, party affiliation.

Vote as a concerned citizen who wants our laws and our Constitution upheld by the next president.

— Sandra Lewis, Joshua

The race is, as Shakespeare presciently wrote long ago, “A tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”

— Stanley Poynor, Mansfield

This story was originally published July 10, 2015 at 7:31 PM with the headline "Lots of variety in presidential race;primaries needed to thin out field."