So much has been written and spoken about President Obama's "likability" factor being higher than Gov. Romney's.

Granted, Obama has a great smile and appears quite congenial. He loves to travel with his family on extravagant, taxpayer-funded trips. He plays golf and socializes with professional athletes and the Hollywood "elite."

But what is likable about the U.S. having a $16 trillion debt ($5 trillion since he became president)? What is likable about 23 million Americans unemployed or underemployed? What is likable about 46 million Americans needing food stamps? And what is likable about American families losing nearly 40 percent of their net worth? I don't think any of these things are likable.

What is unlikable about turning around the Salt Lake City Olympics from a disastrous deficit to a surplus? What is unlikable about declining a salary for either the Olympics job or as governor of Massachusetts? What is unlikable about turning a state's educational program into the No. 1 program in the U.S.?

Success should be applauded. Don't we encourage our children to strive for excellence in the classroom or on the playing field and not to settle for average?

I hope the American voters do not vote as they did in high school for the most popular, "likable" candidate. I hope they vote as grown-ups this time, reversing the course of four years ago. We have only one time to get this right!

Missy Pixton

Spotsylvania