Dear FRONTLINE,

I'm an ardent Obama supporter. This was the first time I really listened to John McCain's life story. I felt great compassion during the part about his 'capture', and admired his 'maverick' positions during the first Bush term, but he has 'sold his soul' since then. In contrast, Obama 'disowned' Reverend Wright because he stood for everything that Barack was not. I know that most decisions in a political campaign are voter driven, but to me, Barack Obama has not lost the essence of who he is.

Angela Muscara
Salt Lake City, Ut

Dear FRONTLINE,

A sober, crystalline assessment of where we stand, and how we got here. A huge gift to the national conversation. Maybe most important, it was not a "mind changer" though it may change some minds, help voters still struggling to sort though the issues.

Mercifully, it was a million miles from the barrage of shrill attack ads. Calm, deeply insightful, balanced, and as perfectly fair and even handed as I can imagine. Neither pro nor con either man, but gritty, truthful - not the airbrushed version.

I'll be honest, I almost skipped it - I'm close to over-dosing. But it was utterly fascinating, gripping, original (even as closely as I've followed the race). Enormous amounts of detail on things I knew little or nothing about - especially the early years of both men.

Must-see for anyone still deciding.

Stephen Helmer
Jerseyville, IL

Dear FRONTLINE,

As a supporter of PBS for more than 25 years -- many of them during a decade as a copy editor at The Washington Post -- I have never been so taken aback by the lack of balance and sloppy reporting demonstrated in this program. I was flabbergasted by the use of voice-over commentary by nameless commentators. Who was making each portentous pronouncement? How can a viewer judge for themselves the validity of comments without knowing who is voicing them? What happened to attribution and accountability? This show has given Frontline and PBS the journalistic equivalent of a black eye. At times I wondered if perhaps the cable box hadn't inadverntently switched the channel to the Fox Network. I expected more from PBS. Now I know there is no television network left in the U.S. with any journalistic standards.

Dorothy MacKinnon
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Dear FRONTLINE,

Nice campaign piece for McCain. The time allocation between he and Obama seemed badly skewed in his favor, and the message presented was right out of the McCain play book. As I watch, there are minutes spent on McCain's "bold moves" and a few seconds on Obama to make sure we don't forget about the Wright relationship. You highlighted policy statements and the maverick persona of McCain, reinforced by his spokesman, Lindsay Graham, and just soap opera material with no extant advocate for Obama. I am embarrassed by your obvious bias and your shameful electioneering for McCain.

Bill Beaconhill
St. Louis, MO

Dear FRONTLINE,

The Choice 2008 was highly absorbing. We are shown the lives and aspirations of two men who, for reasons only known to them, wish to become President of the United States. Judging from their actions in their climb to the top, it is clear that both are mavericks in the sense that neither has clung strictly to party lines in the pursuit of their common ambition. In today's politics, it's all about using rhetoric to form a winning coalition with little attention to the real needs of the people. I wonder if either side knows what those needs are?

Berwyn, PA

Dear FRONTLINE,

The election of Barack Obama as the U.S.A.'s first black President would indeed be ground breaking. However, his ability to be 'his own man' would be an impossibility, akin to 'dancing on the tip of a pin' because he would have to avoid offending so many people, people whom he might need for his political survival at some point. There will be nothing ground breaking about his performance as President.

sandra west
San Fernando, Trinidad W.I

Dear FRONTLINE,

This is a fine program, very fair and quite complete. I wish you would do the same thing about the Vice Presidential candidates.

I would also like to see arguments against the lies in negative political ads. They do untold damage and should not be allowed.

Watching the Nixon biography and the way his lies destroyed the people he ran against early in his career, were portents of things to come.

I see that happening again. Free speech doesn't include yelling "Fire" when there isn't one. I see the lying ads as doing the same kind of thing. Some of them also incite to violence.

Sylvia Kimmel
Pennsville, NJ

Dear FRONTLINE,

I was very disappointed in this presentation. It was a rehash of all the gossip about the two candidates with the added problem of restating each other's characterization: Obama is a crafty politician and McCain is a crafty politician. There was hardly anything about their basic political point of views and less about the issues. The "choice" should have been based on their points of view and perspectives

Greencastle, PA

Dear FRONTLINE,

This was one of the most objective, informative programs regarding the candidates for the Presidency of this great nation I have ever seen. It was well balanced and impartial as any piece of reporting that has been aired in this century. Kudos to Frontline!

Frank Monserrate
Miami Lakes, Florida

Dear FRONTLINE,

Great program. I hope you complete it after all this is over, and add the lamentable arc of McCain towards a negative campaign. At this point, I think Obama should win: because the democrats are the only proven to have helped the economy, because his views are more of what America needs, because we shouldn't approve the handling of the republicans of the last 8 years, because Obama is a more compassionate leader, because Obama is perceived more favorable in the world, because it is time we have diversity in the presidency and because McCain has being dangerously gambling with political games.

Juan Keledjian
Miami, FL

Dear FRONTLINE,

Excellent, fair and balanced reporting tonight. I enjoyed the perspective's of both candidates. My mind was made up months ago for McCain but appreciate the path Obama has taken. Perhaps in the years ahead he will be experienced enough to run the country.

Steve Galllimore
Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Dear FRONTLINE,

I have just watched The Choice 2008. First. let me say that I think Frontline is just about the best thing on TV. And this program was excellent. But I have a criticism. While you were dealing with Barack Obama's time in Chicago, there were a number of interviews with print reporters. Maybe there was one, but I don't recall seeing an interview with a Chicago Tribune, Sun times, or Southtown Economist reporter I do recall seeing numerous interviews with NY Times reporters. I am sorry, but as good as they may be, these reporters are not Chicago reporters. It was the same with McCain. No local reporters.

My suggestion is when doing local reporting, go local. thanks for the great program.

Bob Grueneberg
Wilmette, Illinois

FRONTLINE's editors respond:

For a local perspective on Obama, read our interview with Chicago Tribune reporter and Obama biographer David Mendell.

Dear FRONTLINE,

Sens McCain and Obama are NOT the only choices. They are the most probably winners but NOT the only choices for voters. You have ignored Ralph Nader in your extravagant narrative. You have ignored the only candidate who runs because he has well considered positions on the issues facing us. Instead, you have brought us a tedious chronology of two ambitious and unprincipled senators whose only real commitment is self-promotion.

Alvin Hofer
Saint Petersburg, FL