‘Deeply flawed’ analogy

Dear editor:

You recently published a letter in which the author compared Donald Trump to an oncologist who has little bedside manner but is extremely competent. He used this analogy to explain to liberals why people support Trump, in the sense that they would rather have a highly competent person as president, even if he does have personal flaws.

I don’t know whether the author would consider me a liberal or not, but I feel that his analogy is deeply flawed, in that it is difficult to compare Donald Trump’s level of competence for governing to that of a highly skilled oncologist. A highly skilled oncologist would have spent years learning and practicing his/ her trade. They would have a deep interest in continually improving their knowledge and skill level. I don’t sense that Donald Trump has spent any time trying to understand the complexities of the problems he faces.

As just one example, he has embarked on a trade war by imposing tariffs on imports — something that no economist, conservative or liberal, thinks is a good idea. It completely goes against the free market philosophy that a majority of people in this country believe in.

I feel sorry for our state’s soybean farmers who are going to pay for the incompetence of this so-called “highly competent oncologist.” I am afraid that the patient is not going to recover from the “treatment.” Paul Swepston Hot Springs