Letters to the Editor: The far left isn’t driving the Democratic Party. Fighting GOP authoritarianism is

To the editor: Jonah Goldberg misses the point about the current divide in the political landscape. (“Has the Democratic Party been led astray by progressive activists?” Opinion, Nov. 28)

The Democratic Party is not the party that refuses to accept the results of an election that didn’t go their way. Democrats don’t refuse to condemn a violent assault on the U.S. Capitol. They aren’t refusing to marginalize the white supremacist faction of their party. Democrats aren’t led by an authoritarian misogynist.

Most traditional minorities don’t see the Republican Party as an alternative because we understand the policies and the nativist fringe that drive it. The party of Nelson Rockefeller, Jack Kemp and George Romney no longer exists.

The progressives aren’t driving the Democratic Party. What’s driving it is the lack of democratic tendencies among the base and leadership of the GOP today.

Rene Childress, View Park

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To the editor: Goldberg cites a new book to argue that progressives have led Democrats astray by their “extreme framing” of issues such as climate change.

He may believe that climate change is something that progressives should stop talking about because it “turns voters away.” Maybe he even hopes that ignoring it will make it go away. If so, he is wrong.

Reputable scientists understand the climate crisis is real and must be addressed. Many polls show that most Americans also recognize that climate change is real and happening now.

I’m old enough to remember way back when Walter Cronkite, Chet Huntley and David Brinkley were on the nightly news. They very rarely, if ever, reported on the weather. Watching network news today, there is rarely a day when an extreme weather event is not mentioned.

Yes, the climate is changing.

Ann Rushton, Sherman Oaks