Sounding off: Campaign countdown continues
Share this post:
Military generals’ endorsement of Harris is telling
The letter “Trump is the tough leader we need” (Sept. 27, TribLive) talked about Donald Trump’s toughness and said he can’t be bought. I would remind voters Trump spent three hours alone with Vladimir Putin; one can only imagine what they discussed, aside from Putin’s knowledge of Trump’s proclivities during his Miss USA event in Moscow.
Just as important is the recent endorsement of Kamala Harris by Gen. Stanley McChrystal, former commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan and Iraq who even disparaged Joe Biden and resigned afterwards and never worked for Trump. Please read what this patriot said about leadership and character that is needed for the most important job in the world.
Additionally, Marine Gen. John Kelley, former Secretary of Defense Gen. James Mattis and other retired top military officials have backed Harris over Trump, as have hundreds of top national security officials.
The future of democracy is just as important as individual pocketbooks. I trust these decorated war veterans’ experience in leadership more than I trust the self-described “stable genius” who stated the Medal of Freedom is more important than the Medal of Honor.
Also, I don’t think most Americans realize Europe suffered a higher inflation rate (11.5% in 2022) than the U.S. Apparently that damn Biden even screwed up Europe!
Make an educated vote.
Jack Sillaman
Latrobe
***
Casey, Harris, Walz the best Dems have?
I’ve watched three debates, and as a retired executive, I ask myself, would I hire or promote any of these Democrats on an interview? The answer is “no.”
Sen. Bob Casey sounded as monotone and boring as any human I’ve ever heard. He’s a 99% “yes” vote for progressives. After 18 years, he wants six more. I see a man that will turn into Joe Biden in three or four years and have to be replaced.
I’ve always believed that what you learn first, you learn best, and remember longest. Kamala Harris, daughter of a professor who I think is a Marxist, will bankrupt America, but I believe that is the Democrats’ plan. When she’s not giggling, I believe she is simply acting, totally phony, and she has reversed her positions in many areas to sound more mainstream.
“Hillbilly Vance” was the most polished politician I’ve ever seen. Without notes, he cleaned Gov. Tim Walz’s clock. Walz’s intense stare and exaggerated mannerisms reeked of nervousness and lack of confidence. He said he became “friends with school shooters.” I was waiting for his two fact-check moderators to correct him, but they surprisingly cornered him on the fact he was not in Tiananmen Square for the protest. Walz looked as useless as tampons in a boys’ bathroom.
Are these Dems the best George Soros could find?
John Ventre
Hempfield
***
McCormick not the voice we need
Like many Pennsylvanians, I am not afraid to call out a liar.
Dave McCormick keeps lying about working as a farmer, when we know he actually made millions on Wall Street. It’s a slap in the face to all our farmers.
McCormick has proved that he is totally out of touch with communities like ours. Someone who lives in Connecticut can’t understand what life is like for us here in southwestern Pennsylvania. He’s not talking about the issues that truly matter to rural voters: keeping jobs local and lowering costs for working families.
Sen. Bob Casey does understand what life is like in rural Pennsylvania, and his record shows it. He created hundreds of good-paying union jobs in Turtle Creek alone. He invested in our critical infrastructure. He’s cleaning up areas with polluted air and water so our kids can grow up in a safer, healthier environment.
When Casey sees a problem in Pennsylvania, he fixes it. When McCormick sees a problem in Pennsylvania, he exploits it for political and financial gain.
Pennsylvanians want an authentic voice in the Senate, and that’s clearly not Dave McCormick.
Kelly Watson
Canonsburg
***
McCormick the better candidate
If you’ve lived in Pennsylvania and paid attention over the years, you know that Sen. Robert Casey has been an empty suit for his whole Senate life. He is a career politician from a political family that has lived in a lake of our tax dollars for decades.
His campaign ads all of a sudden have him taking action on the border and drugs. In my opinion, these are problems that his political party have created with his help. He only comes to Western Pennsylvania when a president or vice president shows up, to hold their coat and grab a little face time in front of the cameras.
His attack ads at his opponent, Dave McCormick, are very creative.
McCormick went to West Point, which creates leaders. He served in the 82 Airborne Division and in the Iraq War. He served in the U.S. government and became a successful business CEO. It is not a negative to become rich and successful, Mr. Casey. That is what this country is all about. Last time I heard, doing business with China has not been outlawed. Just ask the Bidens.
He lives in Connecticut. Big deal. A lot of people move out of Pennsylvania and come back. He was born in Washington, Pa.
In elections, you should vote for the best qualified candidate to do the best job. It’s pretty clear who the best candidate is, and it sure isn’t Bob Casey. I approve this message!
Kenneth Minyon
Butler
***
Harris will grow economy
Polls show that voters trust former President Donald Trump over Vice President Kamala Harris on handling the U.S. economy. But which candidate would actually be better for the U.S. economy if elected?
Under the Biden/Harris administration, the U.S. emerged from the pandemic with the strongest economy in the industrialized world. Comparing the pre-pandemic Trump economy with today’s, we see significant gains in GDP and in the stock market. More than 6 million new jobs have been added after recovering the 9 million jobs lost during the pandemic.
The administration has addressed inflation by clearing supply chain backups and with the Inflation Reduction Act. U.S. inflation currently stands at 2.5%, which is close to the target value of 2%. I don’t think inflation would have been any better under a Trump administration, had he been elected.
Both candidates have shared their economic proposals. Economic analysts including Goldman Sachs agree that Harris’ plans would result in greater growth, lower inflation and lower interest rates than Trump’s. Additionally, Trump’s plans would likely spark a recession in 2025. Based on this, Harris is clearly the better candidate to grow our economy in the next administration.
Margaret Ryan
Murrysville
***
Competence should trump likability
The presidency should not be a popularity contest but rather a choice of who is more competent of governing. We know the results of four years of Donald Trump and likewise the past few years of Joe Biden/Kamala Harris.
Harris supports increasing taxes, controlling prices, subsidizing home purchases and taxing unrealized capital gains. An economically informed voter would recognize the negative impact of these policies: reduced employment and business activity, product shortages, bloated government bureaucracy, inflated housing prices and the forced sale of assets to cover taxes. In short, these measures would harm the economy and the working class.
Trump, during his presidency, demonstrated an ability to stimulate the economy and improve living standards for most Americans.
Harris tends to evade questions about her policies and frequently emphasizes her middle-class upbringing rather than her plans. Meanwhile, Biden campaigned as a moderate but has governed with far more progressive policies. Harris, along with VP candidate Tim Walz, align with an extreme liberal agenda while trying to portray themselves as centrists. It’s likely the same people who influenced Biden’s administration would also move a Harris presidency further to the radical left.
In this election, where both candidates have likability issues, the policies they represent should be the focal point, not their personalities. Voters should pay more attention to their track records than the empty promises of campaign ads.
Larry Schultz
Murrysville
***
Honesty from candidates would be refreshing
I cannot wait until the lies in the commercials and speeches are over … from both sides. Each candidate lies about the opponent they face. Honesty would be so welcome.
Hannelore Miller
Hempfield