Centrist Democrats should listen to the people ‘to start winning elections’

‘Listen’

After four decades, the old politics – rule by corporations – had died by 2016. The Democratic Party tried resuscitation, and failed, giving us Trump.

Now, “Centrist Dems begin arguing against far-left agenda” (July 21) indicates that the party’s elites are still failing to listen to the millions crying out for candidates who will represent them (not the corporations), and who will legislate and govern in ways that measurably improve their stagnating or even worsening well-being.

Single-payer or medicare-for-all is a well-being issue that could excite the electorate and get voters to the polls. But the centrist Democratic Party elites view single-payer as toxic and discourage candidates from mentioning it.

By seeking only incremental improvements for the masses, Democrats fail to generate enough election excitement to win. Worse, a party trying to tell the voters what they should want rather than listening to their voices is pompous and can’t expect to win. Listen to those millions, and start winning elections again.

Religious freedom?

Regarding “North Carolina was a leader in religious freedom” (July 21): The author justly salutes the Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina for liberally opening the colony in 1669 to “heathens, Jews, and other dissenters,” but the expectation was that tolerance rather than coercion would lead disbelievers to Christianity.

In 1776 the North Carolina state constitution, in contrast to the federal, had a religious test forbidding public office to anyone who denied “the truth of the Protestant religion.” When Jacob Henry, a Jew from Carteret County, was elected to the House of Commons in 1809, his right to serve was challenged.

Repeatedly, the legislature affirmed the religious test, changing “Protestant” to “Christian” in 1835 in respect to Roman Catholics. The religious qualification for office was reaffirmed in 1861. The Reconstructionist constitution of 1868, still in effect, finally removed the sectarian test but still disqualifies those who “shall deny the Being of Almighty God.”

Carolina may have been a pioneer of tolerance in 1669, but since its statehood it has been among the very last to guarantee constitutional freedom of belief to “heathens, Jews, and other dissenters.”

Leonard Rogoff is an author and historian for the Jewish Heritage Foundation of North Carolina.

Publish wording

Regarding “Session called to write amendment summaries” (July 24): Speaking as a taxpayer, since the state legislature will reconvene to dictate the wording (round 2 for them on the topic) of the ballot proposals for six N.C. constitutional amendments, I want it also to hash out and publish at the same time what the exact wording will be for the amendments should they pass.

No making us wait for the third pass, after we’ve voted. We voters are their constituents, after all.

Helsinki ‘failure’

Regarding “Trump questions US intel, not Putin, on Russia 2016 meddling” (July 16): The press, Congress and others have missed the point when they criticized the President Trump’s press conference in Helsinki. The troublesome portion of his statement is not the double negative in the original or revised statements, but the fact that he “didn’t see any reason why...”

The world knows our intelligence agencies have significant evidence that the Russians were meddling in our elections. Six days before the Helsinki meetings the Justice Department briefed Trump about the indictment of 12 Russians for specific activities carried out to interfere with our elections.

Did Trump ask about the details? Was he uncertain about the conclusions drawn by the agencies? Was our president told of an active threat by the Russians, and then did not insist on having his own comprehensive understanding of this threat?

If he agreed with the agencies, he certainly would have had plenty of reason why he doubted Putin. If he disagreed with the agencies, he should have pressed the agencies for more information so he could understand the facts before meeting with Putin.

Trump has no firm understanding or conviction about the risk to our electoral process. Leadership requires understanding. This is the greatest failure yet in this greatly flawed presidency.

This story was originally published July 24, 2018 at 12:36 PM.