Gerald Keer asks if the South Jersey Times has already made the presumption that Donald Trump will be a one-term president.
To the Editor:
It was a wonderful morning on Nov. 14 until I picked up my copy of the South Jersey Times. In neighboring Philadelphia and New York, and other cities across the country, people unhappy with the presidential election result were protesting in the streets.
The protests and how the demonstrators are refusing to attempt working together should have been the top article. But the Times attempted to begin another revolution with the front-page article "Is a 2020 presidential run in sight for (U.S. Sen. Cory) Booker?"
The past year was filled with media attempts to select a winner regardless of what the voters felt. Now, on the front page was the opening salvo of an attempt to present us with a one-term senator from New Jersey as our next president.
Of course, this might go over well in our state, which heavily marches to the beat of the Democratic Party drummer. But the article reminded me of the scene in 2004, when a well-rehearsed, freshman senator made the Democrats' convention keynote speech, and rode his fame to the presidency in 2008. The bad taste of Barack Obama's policies created the candidacy of a political outsider who swept to victory this month over the pre-selected former secretary of state.
Can we wait for a reasonable period of peace to find out if the United States reacts negatively to Donald Trump's plans to correct the wrongs of Obama? Or does the Times feel wronged because its endorsed candidate, Hillary Clinton, was voted down?
After all, at least three counties in South Jersey gave a plurality of votes to Trump. Give us a break for a short while. We want to see how Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence do.
Gerald Keer
Turnersville
Wasting your vote a Mickey Mouse act
To the Editor:
I read the Nov. 15 article "Seeking 'someone normal' for president ..." about how hundreds of voters in just one small New Jersey county, Salem, wrote in the names of cartoon characters, celebrities and deceased people for president.
People seem to write in fictional characters in the belief that their vote does not matter. However, elections can be close and votes can make a difference. The people that did this need to take a large step back from themselves and realize that their decision to write in Mickey Mouse or Abraham Lincoln can have consequences.
Although those who cast wasted write-in votes may not have aligned themselves with a particular major-party candidate, there is the option of third-party candidates. There were nine presidential candidates to choose from on New Jersey ballots.
Choosing a candidate with somewhat of a chance is much less wasteful than writing in a cartoon character or deceased official. I think such actions are selfish and insulting to democracy.
There are countries where citizens are stuck with a dictator and get no opportunity to vote. Start taking advantage of the benefits that our democracy provides. Exercise your rights. Vote for a legitimate, live person.
People have died fighting for our right to vote. I hope everyone keeps this in mind the next time they head to the polls.
Alexa Fagan
Swedesboro
Sweeney should make N.J. governor bid
To the Editor:
With the news that state Senate President Stephen Sweeney won't seek the Democrats' gubernatorial nomination in 2017, I can't help but be disappointed.
I don't know the details or circumstances of why he chose not to enter the race, but I can say that he would have been a viable asset as governor not just to South Jersey, but to the entire state.
A true advocate for the middle class, Sweeney, D-Gloucester, has fought to cap property tax increases, create more educational opportunities, raise New Jersey's minimum wage, and to enact job-creating policies. These are just a few highlights of his political career.
Going forward, I wish the senator nothing but the best in his plans for re-election to his 3rd District state Senate seat in 2017. If he has a future opportunity to make a run at the governor's seat, I hope he considers running, because we need more people like him fighting for the middle class.
Ben Bono
Deptford Township
Send a letter to the editor of South Jersey Times at sjletters@njadvancemedia.com