I find the GOP’s “morality-free” approach to politics abhorrent. The prime example is Donald Trump’s persistent denigration of others. More recently, Dana Loesch, right-wing talk radio host, proclaimed that “winning is a virtue” and stated, “I don’t care if Herschel Walker paid to abort endangered baby eagles, I want control of the Senate.”
Additionally, Christians defame their religion by voting for Walker and Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene. Henry Olsen, in an op-ed in the Oct. 6 Valley News, states: “Politics, it seems, is too important these days for questions of character to matter.” He continues, “Herschel Walker revelations likely won’t matter.” He reminds us that voters were unfazed by Bill Clinton’s sexual encounters or Ted Kennedy’s Chappaquiddick incident; neither suffered adverse political fallout. The Republican Party demands allegiance and loyalty to Trump and his base which allows them to discount questions about personal behavior in pursuit of political victories.
Is there no sense of moral courage in today’s politics? As columnist David Brooks points out, “in the post-Trump degradation of public life, politicos, propagandists and activists on this issue (abortion) elide the hard and complex issues in order to powerfully advocate their side. The armies of certitude march forth and dominate debate and politics.” Yet, those who demonstrate political bravery by opposing the party line risk being subject to vindictive and violent reactions.
Do we really want the Republican Party’s shift toward authoritarianism to predominate? Recent data on Republican candidates show 299 Republican candidates for the House, Senate and important state offices are election deniers. If Republicans win the House, election deniers will form a strong voting bloc and are already complaining that House minority leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is too moderate.
Morality functions as a guardrail for politics. If extreme actions predominate, the guardrail splinters and people’s sense of right and wrong bows to political ends. We need to reinforce empathy and believe that people’s interests have much in common.
Bob Scobie
West Lebanon
A team to vote for
In this election the strong team to vote for in the race for Windsor County’s state Senate seats, is Clarkson, McCormack and White.
In lots of aspects of life, business, problem solving and sports you build a team. In politics it’s no different; you try to place a person at the table where the most crucial decisions are being made. You look for sage advice from the person or persons with the most experience. And you look for vitality and freshness of approach.
With Alison Clarkson as Vermont State Senate Majority Leader, you have a seasoned leader who presides over the creation of the Senate’s Calendar and when and if the various legislative initiatives will be brought before the Senate Body for debate and action.
With Dick McCormack you have a seasoned Senate legislator who brings his years of knowledge to each session. When McCormack rises in the Senate Chamber to speak, the rest of the legislators turn and listen. His sage advice on almost every issue being brought before the body is crucial to a bipartisan and instructive debate.
And with the candidacy of Becca White, you have a proven House legislator moving over to the Senate to bring her fresh thoughts and approach to our problems that affect us all, such as climate, housing, updates to Act 250 and health care.
I truly believe, if elected this will be the most talented and balanced team of Vermont Senate legislators in any county in the state.
I urge you the citizens and voters of Windsor County from Ludlow to Hartford, and from Royalton to Springfield to vote and send the team of Clarkson, McCormack and White to Montpelier on Nov. 8.
Paul Regan
Delegate-Woodstock Democratic Town Committee
South Woodstock
Democrats are better
economic stewards
Most polls show that the economy is the single most important issue to voters. A Gallup poll released Oct. 3 says more voters trust Republicans than Democrats with the economy. However, a peer-reviewed analysis of economy between 1949 and 2012 showed that it performed better under Democratic than Republican presidents (Blinder and Watson, Princeton University). In addition, a new book, The Middle Out by Michael Tomasky, argues that the economy has performed much better under Democratic than Republican presidents by most measures from 1988 through 2020, during which each party held the presidency for four terms and 16 years.
Using U.S. government websites, anyone can confirm the following differences in economic performance under Democratic and Republican presidencies: jobs created during all four terms, 34.5 million under Democrats versus 1.4 million under Republicans; increase in median household income per term, 4.8% versus -0.8%; average GDP growth per term, 2.7% versus 2.0%; increase in Dow-Jones Industrial Average per term, 70% versus 22%; total budget deficit during all four terms, $6.5 trillion versus $12.3 trillion; average annual inflation rate, 2.0% versus 3.0%.
The inflation rate has risen from 1.4% to 8.3% under President Biden. However, most economists attribute current inflation to the COVID pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the inflation rate is higher in Europe than in the U.S. While some economists claim the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan was excessive, others contend it was necessary to avert a recession and the plan had strong public support. Also, 10 million jobs have been created since Biden took office.
Republicans have articulated no plan for managing the economy. Their usual approach since the Reagan era has emphasized tax cuts for corporations and wealthy individuals, which usually increase the deficit and worsen inflation.
Please vote on Nov. 8, with the above facts in mind!
William C. Black
Hanover
Trump’s lies are dangerous
I completely agree with two Forum letters in the Oct. 11 Valley News (“Lange hits it on the head” and “An authoritarian agenda”).
Trump is a poster boy for fascism and corrupt dictator wannabes — that is what Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, is saying in his new book Revenge. Cohen calls Trump’s presidency a practice run for future dictatorships, which is pretty much right on if people look back at the fascist rallies in Europe in the late 1920s and ’30s. Hitler and Mussolini spewed racism, hate and lies, and this is exactly what is happening here with Trump. His rallies are nothing but misinformation and hate speech.
Are we heading in the same direction? Look at some of the speeches and rallies; Trump sounds just like Hitler and Mussolini. How can people be blindly led by this guy? This is America, home of the free and the brave; we must not let history repeat itself and let fascism take over. I’m not a Democrat or a Republican, just a very concerned independent, red blooded American who loves this country. As Cohen writes we are in danger of losing this country to fascists who are destroying our democracy and the rule of law, something unseen since the dark days in Europe prior to World War II.
Mark Fields
Grantham
Shun the GOP
There are several compelling reasons to oppose today’s Republican party, most especially their failure to denounce former president Trump’s chronic dishonest and anti-democratic behavior. But one important issue may be under the radar for many: the Republican Party is controlled by monied interests who use it to advocate policies harmful to the vast majority of Americans.
Much of this is ancient history, of course. For many years, Republican politicians have supported oil company climate denial, gun company disinformation about gun control and the wealthy’s demands that tax policies allow them to get richer while everyone else struggles.
Concerned voters should be aware that the situation is getting worse. In recent days Sens. James Lankford (Okla.) and Mike Lee (Utah) introduced legislation to prohibit Medicare from negotiating drug prices. Republican politicians across the country are running ads attacking increased funding for the IRS because they don’t want corporations and the wealthy to have to pay taxes they owe. And Sen. Rick Scott (Fla.), chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee is promoting a policy that every American no matter how poor should pay income taxes.
America needs a responsible party alternative to the Democrats. It is not healthy having only one viable party. But today’s Republican Party represents an existential threat to our democracy and must be shunned by informed voters.
David Allen
White River Junction