I happen to like JD Vance, but I don’t believe Donald Trump made a wise choice in selecting him as his running mate. I can understand why Vance may have seemed like a good choice since Trump obviously wants to lock down Ohio, and perhaps he feels that Vance may help in the Midwestern swing states.
However, Vance is missing two key factors. First, he doesn’t have the experience to help Trump develop key policies, especially when it comes to foreign policy, and he doesn’t have the stature to challenge Trump when he feels Trump may be headed down the wrong path.
Secondly, and perhaps of equal or even more importance, Vance doesn’t have the clout in Congress to help push through legislation. While I don’t feel the choice of a VP is the most important factor in determining a presidential election outcome, I believe Trump could have picked someone else with more executive and/or legislative experience.
Trump claims experience doesn’t matter, but in this case, he’s wrong.
— Dan Schuchardt, Glen Ellyn
US attorney post in Chicago
The best thing about JD Vance being Donald Trump’s vice presidential choice is that he would be out of the U.S. Senate if Trump wins the election. That would mean Vance no longer would be able to hold up the U.S. attorney appointment for Chicago. It is a ridiculous policy that any individual senator can indefinitely hold up Department of Justice nominees for no logical reason.
Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., a former football coach, held up military promotions at the expense of the military because of his opposition to abortion rights. Vance did it, and is still doing it, because of his objection to Trump being prosecuted by federal authorities.
So if Vance leaves the Senate, Chicagoans presumably can welcome the highly qualified April Perry as their new U.S. attorney after a delay that was much too long.
— Ed Stone, Northbrook
JD Vance overcame struggle
While I disagree with Donald Trump and JD Vance about their economic policies, at least the latter gives short shrift to liberal tommyrot about white privilege and root causes. Vance overcame many of the conditions currently affecting significant portions of the poor. It took sacrifice, determination and persistence, not a patronizing government and condescending political demagoguery.
— Charles Roth, Chicago
Is this the country we want?
Have readers heard of Viktor Orbán? Orbán is the prime minister of Hungary. This is important for two reasons.
The first is that Orbán’s Hungary has been described as the only authoritarian member of the European Union. He is Russia’s leading ally in Europe.
The second is that he has been “flavor of the month” for the political right in the United States for some time. They see somebody who tramples on rights that we Americans take for granted as their kind of guy, and they invited him to speak at their most important annual conference.
Donald Trump, who has hosted Orbán a couple of times at Mar-a-Lago, JD Vance and the president of the Heritage Foundation — which created the Project 2025 manifesto for a far-right restructuring of our government — are admirers of Orbán.
My great fear about this year’s elections is that, if Republicans take the presidency and Congress, they will follow Orbán’s template of taking power legally, then using that power to create more legal power that will make effective opposition impossible while leaving the appearance of democracy in place.
For voters who intend to do only one thing to inform themselves before November’s elections, I suggest learning about Orbán’s Hungary and asking themselves if those are the circumstances under which they want to live in the United States.
— Curt Fredrikson, Mokena, Illinois
A true primary for Democrats
I have lived in Evanston and Chicago since 1980, and I supported then-candidate Joe Biden in 2020, when he promised to serve only one term. As much as I love all the wonderful things the Biden administration has done for our country, I love the future of our country more. We have a Supreme Court with a super-majority that has sent us back to the Middle Ages by overturning the values enshrined in the Magna Carta — that the king is not above the law. We have a Senate so evenly divided that it barely manages to function. We have a House of Representatives governed by extreme Republicans, and that is the body charged with certifying the results of this year’s presidential election. Although his aides have done a remarkable job of hiding this for many months, we have a president with obvious cognitive deficits.
If I, a die-hard Democrat, have difficulty supporting Biden for another term, how will we ever persuade undecided voters in the key swing states to show up and vote for this infirm candidate? Low turnout among Democrats spells a Donald Trump victory, and we’ve heard about what he would do with a second term in office: Turn the Justice Department into a personal vendetta machine, remove all dissenters from his Cabinet and executive agencies, and stifle all peaceful protest with brute force by the military. Neither the judiciary nor the legislature would serve as a check on his unbridled power.
If he loves this country, Biden will withdraw his candidacy immediately. Let’s have a true primary race among Democrats, which would draw media attention to our party and away from Trump’s shenanigans. There is no reason we cannot accomplish this in the next few weeks. Most Western democracies manage their contested elections in weeks rather than months or years, and we can too.
— Patricia Bronte, Chicago
Hope lies with young voters
At this late stage in the presidential campaign, I have to fault both parties, Democratic and Republican, for the miserable choices available to us rank-and-file voters.
From both, I see only a lack of courage, fear of innovation and complete disregard for any concerns of voters beyond the need to cement their man in power. Both codgers are unworthy of the presidency — their arrogance is astounding, but the sniveling performance of their underlings is even more astounding.
I’ll be 75 soon. My hope is for an awakening of a young, hopeful and vital generation of voters to deliver us from this quagmire.
— Joan Compton, Elgin
The wants of the majority
One thing the far right is correct about — just like 1776 — is that we have taxation without representation.
The majority of our country wants enforceable gun laws forbidding the sale of weapons of war. The majority are in favor of a woman’s right to choose. The majority want affordable health care and a Head Start program for our children.
But do we get any of this? Where are our representatives and senators who are supposed to follow the will of the people? We should vote them all out of office and start over.
The main problem with governments is that they are run by politicians. We would be better off if they were run by humanitarians.
— Frank W. Tedesso, Harwood Heights
Is change of heart possible?
Now that the horror of gun violence has reached Donald Trump, perhaps he and his party will finally join in the effort to create sane and comprehensive gun control legislation and policy.
Generally, I am an optimist; however, in this case, I shall hedge my bets with a donation to Gabby Giffords’ organization. I may even send it in the name of Trump, a recent victim of the scourge of gun violence plaguing our beleaguered nation.
— Pamela Harrison, Chicago
Use drones to fight city crime
With all the money being invested to fight crime in Chicago, maybe they should try something different, such as drones. They work great in the military and seem to do the job. Police would be able to track what’s going on better. How long is this going to go on, seriously? It almost seems like we’re letting it happen, like we’re giving up, actually.
— Sue Kachiroubas, Chicago
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