Letters to the Editor: Sorry, Democrats, you might have to nominate Mike Bloomberg to beat Trump

To the editor: I’ve regretfully come to the conclusion that Democrats must nominate former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg for president. The thought of two billionaires fighting over the presidency makes me slightly nauseous, but the thought of another four years of Trump makes me violently ill. (“Bernie Sanders wins New Hampshire primary, narrowly beating Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar,” Feb. 11)

Bloomberg is the only candidate who Trump cannot tar with the socialist label, and he’s is the least likely one to alienate cautious moderates and scared conservatives.

Sure, Bloomberg has some liabilities. His plan for a more progressive tax system will attract charges of “socialism,” but with any luck, even some Trump loyalists will see though this. His left flank is exposed from “stop and frisk,” which he has disavowed, but not everyone’s convinced. His support for charter schools will also put off teacher unions.

Plus, he’s a billionaire.

But we haven’t the luxury of insisting on everything we want. Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. has observed that Bloomberg is the only one who can “stand toe-to-toe” with Trump. I think he’s right.

Claude Goldenberg, Seal Beach

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To the editor: Scheduling several short debates between the leading Democratic contenders to help voters choose a nominee is one of the worst political decisions ever made.

What are we gaining by this debacle? We hear how wonderful all the candidates are, and then we hear how incompetent they are. Democratic voters had some trouble at the beginning trying to decide which candidate they liked the most; now their trouble is determining which candidate they dislike the least.

I believe that if George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt and Franklin D. Roosevelt were running today, the nomination would go to Bloomberg.

Owen Keavney, Pomona

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To the editor: Come on. Sen. Bernie Sanders “edges” out Pete Buttigieg in New Hampshire, as your print headline says?

How many times has the corporate media downplayed Sanders’ campaign? His win in New Hampshire is a major event within the Democratic Party.

CNN, NBC, the L.A. Times, Fox News, Sinclair Broadcasting — all you people continue to show disdain for Sanders, and he continues to rise. Give the man some respect. Against all odds he prevails while you do your best to drag his name down.

J. R. Ball, Inglewood

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To the editor: Like California surfers catching waves, New Hampshire primary voters caught Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s wave Tuesday. Thankfully, her “Klomentum” outpaced the back and forth between her rivals, carrying her to a strong third-place finish.

In order to win in November, Democrats must do well in states like Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Klobuchar, who hails from Minnesota, speaks their language.

She represents the best of my party in 2020. I hope the voters in Nevada and South Carolina agree.

Denny Freidenrich, Laguna Beach