Letters to the Editor: Calling Bernie Sanders a socialist doesn’t make him one, so stop panicking

To the editor: Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders has a lot of ideas for helping a lot of people, including underpaid workers, students and those experiencing homelessness. This does not mean he will socialize all our institutions and industries to care for the needy. (“There’s a shark in the water, people! Why aren’t Democrats sounding the Sanders alert?” Opinion, Feb. 24)

Calling someone a socialist doesn’t give him the power to turn a democratic republic into a socialist state. Look at President Trump. Look at what he promised. Look at what he delivered. He promised to fix everything that was broken, and he broke a lot of things that were working.

This turmoil that the Democrats are creating over Sanders may be totally unwarranted. It is fed by the pundits sitting behind cameras and microphones, warning that Sanders is destroying the party whose members support him.

Baloney. The pundits talk as if they are always correct, but they do not know everything. Most people don’t even know what a socialist is.

Listen to your own heart and mind. Trust you own judgment.

Esther Cole, Ventura

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To the editor: Jonah Goldberg wrote that if Sanders is the Democratic nominee, both parties will have candidates who “have a good chance to lose -- just as in 2016.”

Like Trump in 2016, Sanders does not have the support of the majority of his party in the primary, and unlike Trump he does not benefit from winner-taker-all delegate allocations. If Sanders’ next two runners-up got together they would match him, and just one more moderate on that team would top him.

This suggests good sense will prevail at the Democratic convention this summer.

Glenn Pascall, Dana Point

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To the editor: As a moderate Republican, I am disgusted by Trump’s indecent and unlawful behavior that endangers our national security and dismisses the expertise of our intelligence and science experts.

I might consider voting for a moderate Democrat for president, but I will not consider voting for a far-left, so-called progressive.

The Democratic Party should be very concerned about alienating moderates and forcing us to vote for a write-in candidate.

Robert Impellizzeri, Moorpark

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To the editor: I oppose Sanders for three reasons.

First, his pie-in-the-sky proposals will die in Congress, even if both houses are controlled by Democrats.

Second, I see no aptitude or interest from Sanders in doing the big job that must be done of pulling the federal government back from the brink.

Finally, he seems not to have a sense of humor. I’m already tired of being harangued.

Bob Klein, Culver City

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To the editor: I’ve had too many conversations with people concerning for whom they think they should vote and not for whom they actually want to vote.

Personally, I’m flipping that narrative and voting for the candidate I actually prefer. Whoever is the ultimate nominee, I will back 100%.

All this grumbling about which candidate looks the most presidential is crazy. Compared to what? We’re in crisis, and all this fretting is not helping.

Laurie Kilpatrick, Los Angeles

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To the editor: I won’t take a chance on Michael Bloomberg just to stop Sanders. The billionaire and former New York mayor is wasting his money sending me mailers and ads on Facebook.

If his goal is to defeat Trump, why doesn’t he run as a Republican? He used to be one.

Mary Anne Vincent, Corona