Obama’s endorsement was OK
Re: A little electoral help from his friend, Oct. 17.
Is Kelly McParland really trying to equate former U.S. president Barack Obama’s endorsement of Liberal leader Justin Trudeau with the tactics used by Russia to influence the American election and Donald Trump’s attempt at bribing of Ukraine? If so, the bias and lack of logic inherent in the commentary are overwhelming. Obama’s endorsement was public and open. He has previously endorsed left-leaning politicians in other countries. Russia’s involvement in undermining Hillary Clinton as Democratic Party presidential candidate took place illegally and behind the scenes. It was a blatant and unprecedented effort to interfere with another country’s electoral process. The more recent effort by Trump to find dirt on his main opponent, Joe Biden, by withholding aid to Ukraine, has led to impeachment proceedings. Obama is a progressive. He must be dismayed to see so many Western countries turn to crude populism and far right policies: witness Britain, Italy, Brazil and, of course, his own United States. Perhaps he is just hoping the same thing doesn’t happen in Canada. ]
Ray Dawes, Barry’s Bay
Obama not like the Russians
Come on, now. However inappropriate Barack Obama’s endorsement of Justin Trudeau may be, equating it to the misinformation and hidden efforts by Russia to interfere in the election process in the United States is beneath the usual calibre of thoughtful opinion published in the Ottawa Citizen.
Bob Ryerson, Manotick
No ‘fake’ news or hacking here
There’s a difference between a personal endorsement of a candidate, and distributing fake news over social media and hacking into people’s computer systems.
David du Feu, Carleton Place