A Trump supporter wishes Joe Biden well — and asks the new president to listen hard

The divisions and polarization we have seen in our society since the campaign season of 2016 have not been caused by Trump. Our divisions were there all along.

SHARE A Trump supporter wishes Joe Biden well — and asks the new president to listen hard
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President-elect Joe Biden

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As a staunch Donald Trump supporter, I was disappointed he was not re-elected. Now that Joe Biden is president-elect, though, I wish him well. I hope he becomes the greatest president in our history.

I am also hopeful that Biden, as president, will realize that the divisions and polarization we have seen in our society since the campaign season of 2016 have not been caused by Trump. These divisions were there all along; Donald Trump just brought it out. I hope Biden examines closely why Trump was elected president in the first place in 2016 and why he — Biden — won this election by only the skin of his teeth.

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Biden would be naive to dismiss Trump has a rabble-rousing racist. He should instead try to understand the fears and feelings of tens of millions of American like myself who identified with Trump’s words.

As for Trump, I believe him to be a well intended man who loves America. I was impressed that, at his age, he would want to deal with the pressures of politics in Washington. Like Trump or not, he wanted to make a difference. I hope he accepts this loss. Sadly, knowing how stubborn he is, he’ll probably never concede.

Antonio Acevedo, Wicker Park

GOP stood for right policies

It’s time for Democrats to realize that many, if not most, Americans who supported Donald Trump for a second term did so out of a belief that the Republican Party platform is more appealing than the Democratic platform — not because they wanted a bully for president. 

As a person who voted to re-elect Trump, I can assure you that I find Trump’s personality and communications style to be abhorrent. I clearly do not support his — in columnist Mary Mitchell’s words — “bullying brand of leadership.” 

I had to choose, however between the lesser of two evils — either a detestable head of a political party that espouses planks that I generally support, or a likeable but incompetent head of a political party that panders to every political group that has its hand out.

Fred Brostoff, Long Grove

We need another FDR

First off, I am glad Joe Biden won. That is a good thing. But unless he discovers his inner Franklin D. Roosevelt and seriously addresses the problems of police reform, affordable heathcare, climate change and wealth inequality (just the top of the to-do list) the future looks bleak, to say the least. 

I have been saying for the last 10 years that the GOP has lost its collective mind. I even had a good friend, whom I respect to this day, yelling — really yelling at me — over dinner because I said that of the two parties only the GOP wants to curtail voting rights, suppress the rights of women, minorities and LGBTQI, and denies science. Their only policy aim is more tax cuts for already wealthy people.

Democrats at the plate have a count of 0 and 2. People wanted change in 1992 and they thought Bill Clinton could be the guy. Instead, Clinton transformed the Democratic Party into Republican Lite, dismantling the Glass-Steagall Act, “ending welfare as we know it” and taking campaign donations from wealthy donors.

After another disastrous Republican presidency, people wanted change in 2008. They thought Barack Obama could be the guy. Instead an emboldened GOP decided to make sure he couldn’t govern. Obama rescued the economy after the crash, though no Republican voted for the stimulus. He got the Affordable Care Act passed with 60 Democratic votes during the four months he had a working majority. They blocked his judicial nominees. During the two years before Republicans took the Senate, Obama had a confirmation success rate of nearly 90%. Afterward, the confirmation rate fell to 28%. And then the GOP stole the nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court.

After yet another disastrous Republican presidency, one which makes the previous Republican disasters look quaint, people now want change in 2020. We have been given Joe Biden. I am not sure what happens if Biden whiffs at the next pitch. There is genuine anger and frustration, which was rightly expressed after George Floyd was murdered. People overwhelmingly support Medicare for All, taxing the wealthy and police reform. If the protests of earlier this year are any indication, I shudder to imagine what happens if none of our problems are addressed in a meaningful way.

George Tafelski, West Elsdon

Pritzker to blame for tax amendment failure

Gov. J. B. Pritzker is blaming the businessman Ken Griffin for the failure of his progressive tax proposal. The governor is now threatening a severe cutback in services.

Let’s understand a couple of things.

First, the amendment was voted down because people felt that Pritzker does not have the right to raise taxes until he gets the state’s financial house in order.

Secondly, the governor could have allowed a vote on a state constitutional amendment to reduce over-the-top public employee pensions, thus reducing the need for more tax money. And new hires should set up 401k accounts, just like the rest of us.

This goes for Mayor Lori Lightfoot also.

David M. Steadman, Bevery

Taxes will go up for all now

To all those who voted against the progressive income tax amendment: The Legislature now is likely to raise the flat income tax rate to address the state’s budget problems. The Legislature could always raise the flat tax. The Fair Tax Amendment would have allowed the Legislature impose a graduate tax instead, but it failed to pass. Now taxes are likely to go up on everyone’s income, not just those making over $250,000 a year. 

So no whining. You reap what you sow.

Peter Felitti, Albany Park

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