Exit polls in the New Hampshire primary showed that many voters supported Howard Dean on the issues but believed that John Kerry, a Vietnam veteran, is more electable.

But this strategy proved unsuccessful for former Georgia Sen. Max Cleland, a triple amputee vet who lost to a Republican candidate with no military service after being unfairly portrayed as soft on homeland security.

Comparing the candidates on the issues, Howard Dean, fiscally conservative and socially progressive, seems better positioned to win the election. We are faced with a $521 billion deficit; Dean, the only candidate to have balanced a budget, has promised to end this cycle of borrowing and spending. Even more importantly, Dean will focus on job creation rather than be sidetracked into debates on divisive cultural issues, emphasizing that good jobs protect families better than an amendment to the Constitution prohibiting gay marriage.

Renee Cote, Auburn