LETTER: A case for Trump
Gary Stout has graced your pages with many op-eds opposing Donald Trump. His recent commentary, “Why Trump is unfit to be president,” which appeared in the Oct. 13 edition of the Observer-Reporter, appears to be an effort to put an exclamation point on his eight-year crusade against what he believes are the manifest evils of Trump.
The commentary consisted of summaries of articles written by staff writers and friends of The Atlantic magazine in January of this year. What was surprising to me about the articles was not that they denigrated Trump, but rather that their tones were shrill and desperate, each author seemingly trying to outdo his or her colleagues in trashing the former president with unsubstantiated statements and just plain stretchers.
For a magazine like The Atlantic to publish dubious, nasty, unsubstantiated information 10 months before the election tells me they were scared President Biden was going to be beaten in November. And since Biden is no longer on the scene, Stout has resurrected this screed because he is concerned the chances of Kamala Harris winning are similarly in jeopardy.
I suggest your readers balance the Atlantic harangue by considering a reasoned opinion piece in the Oct 17 edition of the Wall Street Journal by Bartle Bull Sr. entitled “My long road from Truman to Trump.” Bull, a staunch Democrat for over 70 years with eye- watering liberal credentials and accomplishments, explains why he is switching parties this year. He summarizes his thoughtful comments by saying, “Now, as a lifelong Democrat, I am voting Republican for policy reasons, not because I like Mr. Trump. I believe my old party, as it abuses the powers of office and threatens to pack the Supreme Court and end the filibuster, now supports a government that is far too strong at home and far too weak abroad.”
Steve Johnson
Washington