Letters: Readers Share Strong Opinions on 2020, Candidates, Democrats, Republicans and More

Trump's endgameThe many Democratic presidential candidates may not actually run against President Donald Trump. They're like a hunting club in blue jackets, chasing the elusive fox Donald, who ultimately eludes them. Instead they may be facing presidential candidate Mike Pence and vice presidential candidate Nikki Haley.A precedent is President James K. Polk, who declined to run for a second term in 1848. Polk was old and sick. From 1844, he achieved all of his objectives: settling the Oregon dispute with Great Britain, winning the Mexican War and claiming California as a state. America was mired in the unwinnable slavery debate.Trump is in a similar situation to Polk's. Most of his achievements will have been made: making government conservative by regulation, passing the tax cuts, refunding the military, fighting trade wars, reordering America's national security commitments. He may face unwinnable battles in 2020.Consider: Democrats nominate a radical leftist for president. Trump resigns his nomination after the convention. Under Rule 9 the Republican National Committee is empowered to fill vacancies of president and vice president occurring by "death, declaration, or otherwise," including resignation.Frederick W. Fraley, III, East DallasNo path to the centerThe Democratic Party has nowhere to go but left, for it has created a monster. The moment they adopted the declaratory statement that those who disagreed with their policies were racist, misogynist, nativist homophobes, that blocked any movement back to the center. Now it's Pelham 123 - the fictional subway train rocketing ever faster, with a dead man's foot on the switch.The young on the left are using the ancient liberal's deplorable klaxon as a litmus test for the entire party. Those who disagree with the party of hate must jump, at speed.Edward Holman, DallasHow about a hippo?I decided to look up the Democratic Party web page. What I found most interesting was the start of the Official 2016 Party Platform. Quote, "Democrats believe that cooperation is better than conflict, unity is better than division, empowerment is better than resentment and bridges are better than walls." I am not a card-carrying, dues-paying member of any party so I think I can observe as an objective, independent thinker. When I look at the Dems in Congress, all I see is a party unwilling to cooperate, not interested in unity, full of resentment and putting up a wall of resistance. Perhaps it is time to replace the donkey symbol with the hippopotamus — hippo as in hypocrite.Ted Gold, PlanoWait, offended by papers?Re: "Pelosi shuffles papers," by Philip and Sandra K. Leighton, Feb. 7 Letters.The Leightons are upset because House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was shuffling through papers during the State of the Union. I'm assuming they voted for Donald Trump, given their disapproval of the speaker's attempt at doing her job.If so, they voted for a man who has told over 5,000 lies on record since taking office, mocked a disabled man, bragged about grabbing women by their genitals and pays off women he's had sexual relations with outside his marriage. Yet the shuffling of paperwork offends them?Christian Crockett, University ParkAmazing prioritiesI'm amazed that people are annoyed by Nancy Pelosi "shuffling papers" at the State of the Union speech, but have no problem with the person in front of her who lies, brags about abusing women and defends neo-Nazis as "good people." Talk about a decline in culture. Rodney Schpok, DallasSlogans for BidenIf Joe Biden decides to run for president, perhaps some of his campaign slogans could be: Move Forward With Biden, Unity Not Impunity and Compromise Not Lies.Kenneth L. Zimmerman, Huntington Beach, Calif.A primary strategyPresident Donald Trump, amplified by the media's thirst to create drama, has rhetorically framed the upcoming 2020 Democratic primary as an either/or choice between "progressive" and more "moderate" candidates — and the general election as a binary choice between those advocating "socialism" (whatever that means) and those for whom "socialism" is a devil term. It would be a mistake if we accept this all-or-nothing narrative. The real issue confronting Democrats is not whether to choose between two arguably exaggerated and artificial extreme options. Rather, it is how they publicly debate their differences — which are fewer than their shared beliefs and values — and what they do to construct a unified message. If, as I have warned many times, they decide to eat their own, Democrats will be playing into the president's hands, allowing him rhetorically to set the agenda and perhaps leading to four more years of Trump.Richard Cherwitz, AustinToday's word is oversight The president has given us a lot of interesting verbiage, such as witch hunt, hoax, covfefe and, now, presidential harassment. The Democrats in the House now have a new term for him: oversight. The reason is no one is above the law. At least we need to find out.Linda Johnston Arage, WaxahachieDisturbing behaviorAs I sat in my living room listening to the president deliver his State of the Union, I couldn't help thinking about how many people around the world must be watching and listening. The legislators would applaud, which is fine, but then the president would make a point and then all of a sudden these leaders of the "shining city on the hill" started chanting "U.S.A., U.S.A." like a bunch of college kids at a basketball game. These cheerleaders showed a tremendous lack of class, maturity and respect for the environment of the occasion. One has to wonder what the viewers thought about their elected leaders as they continued with these childish outbursts. Maybe we should hold the next SOTU speech in a gymnasium and give each member of the audience a beanie cap, megaphone, some pom-poms and a miniskirt so they will feel more at home. Congressional members should display more integrity and statesmanship during such a serious event, and the president should have said so instead of thanking them for their outburst.Ray Kent Smith, DallasAbout those tax returnsSo the Democrats are going to try to pass a bill requiring that presidential candidates reveal their income tax returns for a number of years. They hope to include President Donald Trump in this requirement. I am in complete agreement with this as long as it requires the same for all members of Congress. They, too, should be required to reveal all sources of income. I am positive such a bill would never be considered, much less pass because it would reveal all emoluments they receive from lobbyists and individuals seeking their favor. I am also sure that if it did pass, it would reveal as much or more misconduct than they hope to find from Trump's returns.Art Roy, MesquiteA damaging right-wing mantraIt is my hope to see the day when both conservative Republicans and liberal/progressive Democrats will become more politically honest and truthful with the American people. There is tremendous room for improvement on both sides. For example, I just had the displeasure of reading a letter to the editor in which someone claims that all liberal/progressive Democrats are "dangerous" because they want to deny freedom of speech to all conservative Republicans. Can we please stop this kind of overgeneralizing and exaggerating from both sides?The one constant mantra, myth and greatest hit that comes from the conservative-Republican side is the false belief that most of the "mainstream media" is heavily pro-liberal/progressive Democrat. This is an oldie but a goodie from the right-wingers. If there is some way to do this, I would love to provide your readers with research evidence that proves that the opposite is true.A well-known conservative author has admitted that the "mainstream media" is now more conservative-Republican than the opposite. She states that many conservatives know that this is true, but pretend that it isn't because they love to play the underdog and to act like they are victims who are outnumbered because it gets them a lot of votes and a lot of donations.Stewart B. Epstein, Rochester, N.Y.The all-knowing TrumpRe: "Intel chiefs contradict Trump on top threats — They cite North Korea, Islamic State, Russia, but not Mexico border," Jan. 30 news story.So, President Donald Trump knows more than all three of our intelligence agencies? Trump also claims U.S. intelligence is wrong about dangerous countries and that only he is right. What a dangerous, self-centered narcissist. He is going to destroy whatever credibility we had remaining as a superpower all by himself. It seems like he believes whatever Vladimir Putin tells him, of which we know nothing due to his hiding what is said at these meetings. He sides with other racist, egoist, populist strongmen while knowing little about world affairs. As to being a "stable genius," he has demonstrated he is neither. Worry about the 2020 elections. With support from the mostly gutless GOP, Trump will have made us a nation of truth-defying, nationalist zombies that clings to any of the thousands of lies he has said so far, as well as those yet to come.Charles R. Elkins, Plano  Continue reading...

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