Opinion

Voters disagree on what this ‘no-brainer’ election is even about

It’s Mr. Trump and his brand, of course, which revs up his base and titillates commentators such as Tucker Carlson but alienates college-educated voters and women. Had the Republicans nominated a sane, dare I say, even bland candidate who can maintain discipline, they would be in a position to measure the drapes of the Oval Office.

It’s close now, not despite Mr. Trump’s behavior, but because of it.

Brian Sanders, Yardley, Pa.

Trump wins on the top issues

Most major polls agree: Voters believe that Donald Trump and the Republican Party are better suited to handle the economy and inflation, crime, illegal immigration, and the crises in the Middle East. Some voters also believe that there would have been no attacks on Ukraine or Israel under a Trump presidency.

How, then, can any poll suggest that the presidential race is a dead heat? In the election of 1980, President Jimmy Carter faced stagflation and an Iranian hostage crisis. He lost, handily, to Ronald Reagan. It was not a dead-heat race.

From my perspective, the mainstream media appears to be in the tank for Vice President Kamala Harris. Furthermore, the support for Ms. Harris is not because of her past achievements, which many believe were either nonexistent or failures. Meanwhile, her plans are far-left and out of touch. Her support comes from voters who hate Mr. Trump and would vote for anyone else.

It’s a sad commentary on our electorate when the choice is between a candidate who polls better on the issues vs. the “I hate Trump” brigade, who would put their enmity above the issues.

David DiBello, Bay Ridge, N.Y.

Democracy is a lesser concern

According to most polls, the principal issues for voters are the economy, immigration and women’s reproductive rights. Apparently, protecting democracy is no longer a top-tier concern.

In the 2022 midterm elections, 70 percent of registered voters said preserving democracy was a priority. Since then, the willingness of a large portion of the electorate to subordinate freedom to other matters is a profoundly troubling mindset adjustment.

Former president Donald Trump, with his history of undermining long-standing democratic values — especially the rule of law — continues to subvert the most fundamental right of democracy: voting. He is already claiming that if Vice President Kamala Harris wins in November, it could only be the result of a fraudulent tally.

Since our nation’s founding, countless Americans have made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of democracy. Let’s not desecrate the graves of the fallen by reelecting a man who assaults the freedoms they died to protect.

Jim Paladino, Tampa

Policy is only part of the issue

I could not agree more with Eugene Robinson in his Sept. 30 column, “Why this no-brainer election is so close,” because of three factors: the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and former president Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs. Is there not a pro-democracy coalition in America sufficient to elect Vice President Kamala Harris?

Mr. Trump knew that he lost the 2020 election fair and square. That he refused to concede and went on to promote lies about the election should alone disqualify him from office. He should already be in jail for attempting to stay in power after losing. Yet, he still hasn’t faced his day in court as the federal justice system has bent over backward to respect his due process rights.

Mr. Trump has also refused to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, despite the threat it represents to democratic freedoms in Europe, the United States and the world. And his proposed tariffs would not only increase consumer prices but could also incentivize illegal smuggling to avoid paying the tariffs. Even reputable companies could find that they have to cheat the system to remain competitive, thus further denigrating the law and order of the United States. But Mr. Trump is used to violating law and order as well as our country’s democratic norms.

Chris Gerrard, Rockville

Voters literally have different brains

Eugene Robinson seeks to answer why the presidential race is as close as it is. As a psychologist, I sought to find out what makes people with conflicting political perspectives tick.

There is considerable evidence that shows political persuasions come from differences in our neurology. A research article from the Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences found those with conservative leanings are more sensitive to negativity bias, conformity, authority, threat, disgust and avoidance. Those with a liberal bent tend to have a greater tolerance for ambiguity, equality and empathy. There are also differences in the actual structure of the brain when considering conservative and liberal leanings. Evidence shows the right amygdala, which plays a large role in perceiving threats and fear reactions, is more active with conservatives.

In addition, a research article in the Journal of Social and Political Psychology presented five social psychological factors that help explain why people support the former president. Factor one involves authoritarianism: deference to authority, resistance to new experiences and aggression toward “outgroups.” Authoritarians view the world as a threatening and dangerous place. Factor two reflects the preference for domination over groups of lower social status and is associated with the idea of a dog-eat-dog worldview, in which power is achieved by any means. No wonder Mr. Trump constantly calls other people losers or failures, lies without compunction and challenges the standing order (e.g., elections, courts). The third factor is prejudice, with active racial and ethnic biases. Mr. Trump’s frequent denigration of others as “vermin,” murderers and rapists does little other than foment prejudice. Fourth is intergroup contact, where those who support Mr. Trump tend to have less contact with “outgroups” or diverse populations. The last factor involves economics. Mr. Trump’s supporters have misguided anger about their standing in society (e.g., employment opportunities). They incorrectly think that others are getting more, and they are more likely to feel neglected or treated unfairly.

René Girard, a French historian, literary critic and philosopher, studied people’s desires. According to Girard, desire comes from seeing what others have and trying to copy them. But desire can spiral into animosity and rivalry. Girard proposed that people are likely to seek a scapegoat for their negative feelings. It then becomes “us against the enemy,” and the scapegoat “enemy” is blamed for everything that “plagues” the group. Sound familiar?

What is puzzling is the tendency for Mr. Trump’s followers to talk about freedom, claiming that they are patriots. However, psychology shows us that Trump supporters are more subject to authoritarianism — which is far from the type of citizen the Founders envisioned and more akin to the “tyrant” King George III, whom the colonies rebelled against. Mr. Trump’s followers will follow him regardless of the good of the country. Far from free and patriotic.

Steve Colucci, North Kingstown, R.I.

Polls say a lot

Many of the pundits and polling critics maintain that polling tells us very little about the state of the presidential contest. As an old marketing research professional with a lot of knowledge about statistics, I would suggest otherwise.

It’s true that any one poll is merely a snapshot of the public’s sentiment in one moment in time. Thus, a single poll, particularly if the margins are not statistically significant, may cast little illumination on the state of the race. But the polls in pivotal swing states — although they have bounced around a bit — have actually been very consistent. In four of these seven battleground states, Vice President Kamala Harris has maintained a small but consistent advantage up to three points nearly since she entered the race. In this context, when the actual margin of popular vote victory may be in the range of one to three points, the polls may well accurately reflect the true state of the race.

Of course, the crucial question for Ms. Harris — and us Democrats — is whether that popular vote win will translate into a win in the electoral college. The answer to this question will not be known until after the ballots have been cast and counted.

Ken Derow, Swarthmore, Pa.