ACA decision has nothing to do with voter preference
The USA TODAY article "ACA may survive latest challenge" in Monday's Dispatch reported that "A recent poll (of voters) ... found 58% do not want the law overturned."
Now, to anyone with a basic knowledge of government, the question immediately arises “what does the voters' opinion have to do with the Supreme Court's decision?” The court's job is to interpret and apply established law to the question at hand; it is not to apply in any way what the majority of the people may desire or think (at that time).
I would like to remind everyone that the U.S. is a republic, which is a government of laws, not of the majority of peoples' opinion. More importantly, it has been pointed out that, throughout history, the majority of people have more often been wrong than right (i.e. the German people in the 1930s with Hitler).
Finally, as George Santayana and Winston Churchill remarked: "Those who will not learn from history are doomed to repeat it."
Jack Willer, Columbus
Republican Party in Franklin County needs to regroup
We should closely review and analyze
the results of the Nov. 3 election in Franklin County. The Republican Party's dismal performance is no surprise to any observer and it fits the pattern of the last eight years. That poor performance cements the one-party system in Franklin County and Columbus.
Instead of finding ways to inspire the voters and meet their needs, the party leadership claims its failure is due to the lack of Republicans in the county. It is time for some serious soul searching about how to broaden the party's appeal given the county's changing demographics.
The party should get rid of former Gov. John Kasich's clique that has controlled the party for too long and install fresh, competent leadership that will grow the GOP base and inspire the people in Franklin County. Otherwise, it will wither and disappear.
George Elmaraghy, Columbus
Election of Republicans would also be in doubt
The Nov. 8 Dispatch Metro column “We have a model of integrity in Rep. Jim Jordan” by Theodore Decker pointed out how the president and U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-urbana, do not seem to know the difference between integrity and hypocrisy. I would like to add to that list a number of Republican state legislators making similar accusations.
In my county, the ballot contained president, state legislature and U.S. representative candidates' names. If the ballots are similar in Democratic governor-run states and were fraudulent as they imply, then it stands to reason that the Republican state representatives, congressmen and senators also were elected by rampant fraud vote. Which way is it?
If I was a member of the Republican Party, I would be ashamed of my elected representatives.
Tom Martin, Upper Sandusky
Government agency was wrong to yield to president
Enough is enough: It is time for our president to formally authorize the Biden transition. For the General Services Administration to deny basic access amid a raging pandemic that's now killing 1,000 Americans per day is not just petty — it endangers national security and public health.
Does administrator Emily Murphy have such little self-worth that she would bend to the desires of a demented tyrant unwilling to admit defeat?
Thomas Potter, Grafton
Yost should focus on pandemic, not Pennsylvania
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has stated that he is filing as a friend of the court in the lawsuit over the Pennsylvania election results (Dispatch article,
Monday). I think the better title for this suit should be “enemy of democracy.”
First of all, Ohio is not Pennsylvania, and it is none of our business as to what took place in that state. President Donald Trump's lackey Louis Dejoy, postmaster general, slow-walked the mail delivery just to make ballots come in after Election Day, and that alone should be grounds to have all of them counted.
I also recall Ohio's top leaders being quoted as saying “count all the votes.” Why did that change? Perhaps Yost and other anti-american governing people in Ohio should be focusing on the COVID-19 situation instead of playing dirty politics. This just proves my theory that the GOP is the party of hypocrisy.
Thomas Billing, Springfield
GOP should be happy with congressional election success
The Republican Party did better than expected in the election. Why, then, does it allow our democracy to be placed in peril by listening to Donald Trump's lies about a fraudulent election? It is clear that the American people voted against Trump but not the Republican Party.
Why does it continue to back Trump with his lies and allegations? There are no credible facts to back up election fraud.
The only voter problems that I saw were with Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, who did everything he could to suppress mail-in voting by eliminating sorting machines, taking away mailboxes and delaying mail delivery. I don't understand how he is not being investigated for interference in an election.
For once, could we put country over politics and be thankful that the rule of the current authoritarian-like president is over? More than 76 million voters did!
Linda Cullen, Columbus