Letter of the Week: Find the best candidates

Better candidates

Not only has the Republican Party, by having Donald Trump as its presumptive nominee, cheated itself of a viable candidate for president, the entire voting public is denied the opportunity to calmly and reasonably decide between two legitimate candidates.

America needs the opportunity to hear from and examine at least two reasonable, qualified and experienced contenders for the leadership of the country at this time of very serious problems and questions of future direction.

Candidates for the House of Representatives and Senate also deserve and sorely need close examination. Only an election campaign that provides intelligent and considered debate does fair service to the ability of voters to arrive at thoughtful decision-making for what will be one of the most significant elections of recent decades.

Let’s lay the blame for continued dysfunction and malfeasance of the federal government squarely where it belongs. It is still incumbent on the voting public to examine and evaluate candidates for all elected offices.

Even dog catcher is an office with responsibility and influence that affects our daily lives.

Steve Sherry of Kansas City is a 1956 Southwest High School graduate and 1960 graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism. He and Judy, his wife of 56 years, have two adult children and four grandchildren. He retired in 1990 as a sales representative to the garment industry.

This story was originally published June 5, 2016 at 12:27 PM with the headline "Letter of the Week: Find the best candidates."