What matters at the polls
To the editor:
Ever try talking to cult members; ever try explaining to them that not everything out of the mouth of their exalted leader is the truth? I keep wanting to ask MAGA voters how their lives are materially better under the Trump administration, but that’s missing the point; it’s not a question of their material lives getting better; they feel better about themselves. Telling a pollster you’re concerned about high gas prices and are struggling to pay your grocery bills is not the same as saying you’re going to vote for Democrats in November.
Many South Carolina Republican voters probably never saw the video clip of Darlene Graham being asked about Taiwan and its strategic importance to the U.S. going forward. Graham was completely thrown by the question, obviously knowing nothing about Taiwan. She finally stammered that foreign policy is “not her thing.”
She’s running for the U.S. Senate, not for a seat on her town council. She has no experience, is completely unqualified, and discerning voters ought to have ask why vote for her? But she had the endorsement of Donald Trump. That’s what matters.
Many commentators wonder why Trump is pursuing deeply unpopular policies, such as his shooting war with Iran and his trade war with Canada, with the midterms just around the corner. Well, Trump has no respect for Congress; he rules by executive order and is confident SCOTUS will back him up. Anyway, no one would be surprised if he declares some sort of election emergency, either before or after the ballots are counted, and throws the election into chaos.
Trump is theoretically a lame duck president, but does anyone really believe he will anoint a successor next year and bow out gracefully. How many exalted leaders ever do that? He’s not building that ballroom for another president, especially not a Democrat, to enjoy. He thinks of the White House as his house and doesn’t plan to see a moving van pull up in January 2029.
Ray Clasen
North Fort Myers