A clash that we don’t need now
Re “Newsom versus DeSantis: A tale of two Americas,” Jan. 18
Your article discussing the possibility of a presidential election showdown between Gov. Gavin Newsom and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, either in 2024 or 2028, perfectly illustrates the problem for millions of voters.
Our choices are both extreme to opposite poles. For years I have hoped for a Scottish National Partytype alternative in the United States, somewhere near the middle.
Most citizens are not extreme to either side, yet we are continually forced to choose from those options. Or, sadly, we don’t vote at all.
Jeff Heister Chatsworth
This is the tale of two governors.
In California, Newsom practices the politics of inclusion. In Florida, DeSantis practices the politics of exclusion.
Democracy is defined by the concept of inclusion. A leader who whips up support by excluding some of his or her fellow citizens from their basic rights, and insinuates that he or she is protecting all of the people’s rights, is as tinny as any snake-oil salesmen of the past.
DeSantis’ method is to define the worthy and exclude the unworthy. Newsom’s inclusion projects tolerance and respect for the dignity of all.
Follow the leader who welcomes all.
Andy Siegel Santa Barbara
I disapprove of DeSantis but still object to your photos of the two with this article.
Newsom’s photo shows a handsome man (he can’t really help it) with a small smile on his face, while DeSantis looks like he’s smelling something unpleasant.
This is wordless editorializing on your part. Isn’t this betraying journalistic integrity?
Judy Melton Pasadena