Readers weigh in on Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump and incumbent politicians
Clinton, FBI
You wonder why Donald Trump might be the next president. The presentation by FBI Director James Comey said it all (7-6, A1, “FBI recommends no charges against Clinton”).
Point by point, he explained how Clinton violated protocol and how she fabricated events. But because she had “no intent,” she will not be prosecuted or held to account for her indiscretions.
Bill Clinton was impeached, but the Senate would not prosecute, and the Clintons go on touting all they are doing for women’s rights.
Both incidents go to prove that the Clintons and the career progressives in government are above the law and judged on a different standard than the average citizen.
Dan Feland
Belton
Third-party room
Perhaps this is the perfect storm for a third-party candidacy for the 2016 presidential election.
Presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump and Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton both possess such negative polling results that a third-party candidate might actually surge in this divisive political environment.
Consider a ticket with Republican Jon Huntsman, ex-governor of Utah, ambassador to China and successful businessman, teamed with Democrat Evan Bayh, ex-governor of Indiana and U.S. senator who resigned, partially over his disgust with politics as usual in Washington, D.C.
Either could run for president and the other serve as vice president. They are two highly experienced, thoughtful and collaborative politicians who know how to make things happen in government, and they are already working together.
Please, for the moment, forget conservative or liberal stereotyping and let’s think about what is best for our country and the world, from economic and political perspectives.
If the last eight years have taught us anything, it is that the current bipolar (metaphor intended) party system is unable to govern.
The storm clouds are darkening, but there may be a clearing on the horizon.
Ted Steinmeyer Jr.
Overland Park
Puppeting Trump
Over breakfast recently, my wife brought up a chilling thought.
As much as George W. Bush had to rely on Republican political adviser Karl Rove to get him elected and Vice President Dick Cheney to get him through being president, should we not be worried about presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump selecting some equally admired advisers as his surrogate president?
This is the stuff of insomnia and/or nightmares.
Keith W.
Ashcraft, M.D.
Leawood
Lessons from child
Isn’t it interesting that 8-year-old Dominic Matthew Johnson (7-1, A1, “Lessons from a child”) can teach us so much about living (and dying), yet we have intelligent adults bloated with the idea that guns are the only thing that will make life prevail?
Lane Klein
Prairie Village
Oust incumbents
The popular theme for the November elections is doing away with insiders and ushering in change. It seems people believe that an “outsider” president will accomplish that. It won’t.
If people sincerely wish for change, it is imperative that incumbents in the House and Senate be replaced by qualified candidates, and then change has a chance.
A person needs to remember that he or she can vote for only one of the 435 members of the House and only one of the Senate candidates in the event that seat is up for grabs.
Changing for the sake of change may be dangerous, but electing fresh, qualified candidates to Congress is the only way to really effect change.
Most people believe their own representative is OK. It’s the other representatives who need to be replaced.
It will take courage for all voters to suck it up and start the process of replacing the true establishment with people whose prime motive is something other than re-election.
Jim Carney
Kansas City
Republican control
I don’t know how anybody can vote for Republicans.
They want to do away with all programs that help the poor. They want to kill Social Security. They want to get rid of veterans’ benefits. They want to do all that so they can cut taxes for the rich.
I remember what happened one of the last times the Republicans had total control of the government. That was 1929.
Richard Powell
Grain Valley
This story was originally published July 6, 2016 at 5:16 PM with the headline "Readers weigh in on Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump and incumbent politicians."