One respondent from Charlotte, N.C., wrote, “Most of the illegals are only trying to support their families. We need to deport them and then look at why they are leaving their home countries in the first place. They should be getting help from their own government, not ours.”
In time of war
Tribune readers also spoke up about the war in Iraq. It was the second most mentioned election-time issue.
Of those that mentioned the war, 56% wanted to end involvement as soon as possible. Seventeen percent wanted to stay the course, and the other 28% only listed it as an election issue and did not specify a course of action.
One reader from Phoenix, Ariz., said, “Cutting and running isn’t the answer. We need to support our troops, give them anything they need to win, and stay there until the country starts to stabilize.”
Another response, from Denver, Colo., simply said, “Too many good people are dying in Iraq. Bring our boys home, now.”
Many of the Tribune readers who answered the poll also feel that Medicare, prescription drug coverage, and the health insurance system in this country need to be addressed.
On the home front
One reader from Minneapolis, Minn., wrote, “The government seems like they are always changing the rules. We need to make Medicare easier to use and give seniors better coverage.”
A reader from Niles, Ohio, said, “Prescriptions are astronomical [in cost]. We need unlimited health care for our seniors, like France and Germany, and like every other civilized country in the world.”
A deeper look
The breadth of issues presented by Tribune readers was significant, Tribune Editor Deborah Dasch says.
The purpose of the readership poll was to help the Tribune staff shape the newspaper’s coverage of the 2008 election, Dasch explains. “The poll was an eye-opener,” Dasch says. “I hope the candidates are listening. What this poll tells us is that there are plenty of issues the candidates need to address in this upcoming presidential election.
“Our readers want to be informed, they want to hear what the candidates have to say, and, more importantly, they want to be heard,” she adds.