Fears, desire for action motivate voters: #tellusatoday

Letters to the editor:

It is hard to believe how little thought goes into voters' minds when they weigh the perils facing us. Yes, all of the topics of the survey cited in Paste BN's article are of concern, including Ebola, jobs and the Islamic State ("Poll: High anxiety, low expectations as election nears").

But far more important is the impact of an election that could deliver a legislative branch capable of pushing the judicial branch further into the pocket of corporations.

Global climate change will impact disease, jobs and insurrection in a far greater fashion than the knee-jerk issues of the survey.

Addison Fischer; Maple Grove, Minn.

In light of the news articles and political posturing about the economy, Ebola and ISIL, may I suggest the country needs to revisit the 1933 inaugural address of President Franklin Roosevelt: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself — nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance." It is remarkable how appropriate that complete address is for 2014 America.

Thomas Coyne; Kalamazoo, Mich.

Comments from Facebook are edited for clarity and grammar:

The most important aspect of an election is selecting someone who demonstrates the ability to get things done. That means you don't vote for someone without experience on a large scale. If they haven't been a state or city official, major business leader, military leader, private businessman or woman, then don't vote for them. The candidate's ability to work with others should be clear.

— Ron Williams

Just getting "something" done isn't enough. It's about getting the right thing done. And that's where many of us disagree.

The voters gave the Democrats two years of majority power to get something done, and the result was Obamacare and massive new, ineffective financial regulation. In a number of areas Democrats and Republicans could have found a lot of agreement, such as simplifying the tax code.

Getting something done isn't anywhere near sufficient. Bad policy is still bad policy.

— Mathew Andresen

Address gridlock, military issues

For Election Day, we asked our followers what issues are most important to them. Comments from Twitter are edited for clarity and grammar:

Gridlock, immigration, the Keystone pipeline, some gun control legislation and foreign affairs are important to me. Work to renew trust.

— @Marc_TR6

I'm concerned about issues addressing how to modernize the military while simultaneously downsizing.

— @JamesFrogge

I consider who used attack ads and who didn't. The latter gets my vote. Oops, I guess I won't be voting!

— @mhenderson33

For more of the conversation, follow @USATOpinion or #tellusatoday on Twitter.