To the editor:

Wow, all kinds of changes in just a short period of time. What was to be a historical election between the two oldest major party presidential candidates in our nation’s history is now a footnote. Now the oldest major party candidate ever, if elected the oldest person elected president ever, is running against someone young enough to be his daughter. The energy is palpable, polls seem to be identifying a measurable shift in the electorate. More and more, lifelong Republicans are openly stating their reluctant but self-opined reason they are going to vote for Harris/Walz. They are done with the uncountable lies, the crimes, the affront on democracy, the what’s-in-it-for me, Jan. 6 and the litany of other Trumpisms. They do not agree with any number of Harris/Walz positions but supporting Trump is a line they are not willing to cross. Reluctantly conceding that they will vote based on character rather than ideology. Some say that is encouraging and maybe it is.

Then there are the campaigns. Trump yells about how terrible our country is, how our economy (the envy of the world) is in the tank, how lovely various dictators around the world are, how dumb his opponents are, how only he alone can fix things, how everybody but him cheats (hmmm) and that his opponent only became Black when it benefited her. Harris, on the other hand, talks about what she will do on the issues and brings some joy to her stage. Harris also dissects and espouses the reason that Project 2025 is the roadmap to authoritarianism. If you haven’t made any effort to read this diatribe, then you should. Judge for yourself many of the things we take for granted if enacted would be severely changed if not eliminated altogether. Of course, true to form, Trump is denying knowledge of Project 2025, running away from this even though many former Trump administration officials are part of the production team, hmmm.

Another dichotomy for the candidates is their choices in running mates. Trump’s pick. a former never Trumper who saw the light and kissed the ring, ate his words for the sake of being a heartbeat away from the presidency. Compared to the real common man type choice that Harris made. Twenty-four years in service to the country, 20 years as a teacher, a coach then a six-term congressman and two-term governor. The choices say a lot one a strange bedfellow the other a fine fitting pair of shoes.

Character matters even if it means ideology be put aside for the better good. At least if you do that going forward your ideology may be met by someone with a modicum of character.

Chuck Damp

Ray Brook