Letters to the Editor | July 25, 2024

So, it wasn’t that long ago when we were all coping with, “Will he do the right thing and step down?” I found myself thinking and saying, “Well, if he does, we’ve got to find someone other than Kamala Harris to run — she’s so unpopular.” Now, as I have heard her speak forcefully on the right side of most of the issues I care about — with a clarity and energy empowered by a sense of wanting to do what is right — I find myself not only enthusiastically supporting her, but I question where did I get the impression she is not likable? She never did anything that irritated me directly. I never felt offended by anything she said. I realize now that I was duped. The buzzsaw driven by the media — both legit and social — had formed my negative impression. Scary, when you think about it.

Well, let’s not dwell too much on that but get behind her, and do all we can to ensure she is the next president of the United States. She, even more than Barack Obama, who used the word so effectively, has restored my sense of “Hope.” I was anti-Trump before, now I’m pro-Kamala.

Jimmy Clark, Philadelphia

It is laughable that Republican politicians in Pennsylvania and elsewhere are calling the Democrats’ decision to seemingly unite behind Vice President Kamala Harris as their candidate for president of the United States “undemocratic.”

This from the party that has endorsed and embraced with shameless affection the man who to this day claims he won an election that he lost by seven million votes. Not respecting the results of an election that withstood over 50 lawsuits filed by GOP stalwarts and wannabes is far more undemocratic than passing the torch from a man who withdrew on his own accord to his vice president.

I would only caution those, myself included, not to assume Harris will be the candidate that emerges as the Democratic nominee at the convention in Chicago next month. It’s logical: Harris has been an attorney general and a senator, and has served as vice president for 3.5 years. In addition, she’s younger, she’s eloquent, she’s energetic, and she should appeal to voters in demographics Democrats need to shore up.

So why the trepidation when Harris is the obvious choice? It was Will Rogers who said: “I am not a member of any organized political party. I am a Democrat!” Let’s hope the party can unite and not make a mess of a golden and sensible opportunity.

Scott Chelemer, Mount Laurel, chelesb@msn.com

If the Democratic Party truly values democracy, the Democrats must decide on their nominee for president. All candidates need to vie for the hearts and minds of the people to become their standard-bearer, which is crucial to reinvigorating a party that had deferred to the sitting president.

The vice president and others, including governors and senators, could excite the party, building on the successes of the Biden presidency, and offering a galvanizing vision of constructive and forward-thinking ideas. They must be resolute in fighting for the unheard and disenfranchised, standing for their core values, and ability to lead a complex world forward.

Kamala Harris must earn the nomination, not inherit it. An anointment diminishes her legitimacy. The rough and tumble of politics will test her mettle. Let her prove she’s up to the challenge, and Harris will emerge as a champion ready for the battle ahead. Ultimately, the people she aspires to lead should decide her fate.

It’s time for a new wave of leadership to take the reins, inspiring us with innovative ideas and the ability to successfully face the challenges ahead for our country and the world. Let’s welcome it with open arms.

Rabbi David Levin, Merion Station

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