Letters to the Editor: We tried nominating a moderate Democrat in 2016. It gave us Trump

To the editor: This article states that many Democrats are “anxious that an uncompromising progressive at the top of the ticket could push swing states into President Trump’s hands.” Perhaps this could more accurately say that people comfortable with the status quo think an uncompromising progressive will appeal to swing states in the general election.

Many of those who voted for Trump in 2016 were unhappy with the policies of both parties that had steadily eroded the economic well-being of their families. That they would be particularly turned off by that pillar of the establishment, Hillary Clinton, is hardly a surprise.

With all due respect, I suggest that they do provide fertile ground for an “uncompromising progressive.”

Reneau Reneau, Inglewood

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To the editor: We know that winning a presidential election requires capturing the middle ground, but that shouldn’t make us overlook the fact that the middle ground can be moved to the left, as with Franklin D. Roosevelt, or to the right, as with Ronald Reagan.

Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg is aiming at the middle ground by promising moderation and reconciliation with Republicans. That’s one reason the mayor of South Bend, Ind., is Wall Street’s favorite Democrat.

Unfortunately, favoring a Wall Street-aligned Democrat is like supporting cops who can get along with the mafia.

Republicans sought to block every initiative by Barack Obama, regardless of whether it benefited the public. Their opposition to healthcare arguably cost American lives. Republicans, as economist and New York Times columnist Paul Krugman wrote, are “perfectly willing to sell out America if that’s what it takes to get tax cuts for the wealthy.”

Roger Carasso, Santa Fe, N.M.

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To the editor: Sen. Elizabeth Warren has let herself be trapped by fellow Democratic candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders’ nonsensical “Medicare for All” fantasy. The current Medicare for seniors isn’t free to them.

Warren may not want to talk about it, but support for free healthcare and more open borders will kill Democrats. The destructive power of recent progressives has been clear for the last 20 years.

In 2000, Ralph Nader’s Green Party candidacy gave us George W. Bush’s first term as president. Four years later, then-San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom started issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, giving the right a political issue that resulted in a second term for Bush. Those eight years gave us Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justice Samuel A. Alito.

Sanders was a critical part of Hillary Clinton’s loss in 2016, which gave us Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. Sanders’ influence remains strong for reasons I cannot fathom and will give us four additional years of the unthinkable.

Steve Synnott, La Cañada Flintridge