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Although I am not a registered Democrat, I believe that U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips' decision to enter the presidential race is not only appropriate but of critical importance to our nation's political future. Despite the need for new blood, Phillips is maligned for not being fully behind President Joe Biden. The Republican Party should have a counterpart to Phillips because, left as is, the 2024 presidential race will be a race between two men, neither of whom is preferred by their own parties. How did we ever get to this?

We have seen Biden deteriorate physically and mentally. He rarely speaks without a script, which speaks volumes for his cognitive abilities. The worst thing about Biden is that he is more and more viewed as a weak leader, something that our adversaries are only too willing to exploit. As for Donald Trump, what else needs to be said? He leads a political party of sycophants who are unwilling to do the right thing by simply abandoning him. If elected, he has already said that he would never leave the White House. He already tried it once. Does anyone believe he won't do it again?

There is only one force that can get us out of our political morass, and that is the voting public. You and I can do it, and we simply must. Our free nation is in peril. Get involved!

Marvin A. Koski, Chaska

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Usually I'm proud to be a Minnesotan. Today I am angry, disappointed and appalled. Biden is doing a great job as president. We just saw the labor statistics about employment. Inflation is down. He also has been rebuilding great relations with leaders around the world, which is so important in this global economy. But Phillips and his ego think that he's smarter than Biden, and Phillips is now running for president. He will only enable Trump to win again and further destroy our country. Sad, sad times when Democrats are split among themselves.

Nancy Anderson, Plymouth

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A Minnesota politician is the lone challenger to a powerful Democratic president. He fares very well in the New Hampshire primary. Weeks later, the incumbent — recognizing his vulnerabilities — announces he will not seek a second term. The year was 1968, the Minnesota candidate was Eugene McCarthy, and Democratic incumbent was Lyndon Johnson. As Mark Twain once said, "History doesn't repeat itself, but it often rhymes." Phillips is giving voice to a great many disgruntled citizens. His impact on Biden's candidacy — and on history — could be substantial, regardless of whether or not he wins.

Jack Uldrich, Minneapolis

I don't understand Matthew Beckman's "response" to the Oct. 17 "Why we can't support DSA-backed City Council candidates" commentary ("Peak hypocrisy in the DFL," Oct. 27). The entire point of that original commentary was that the DFL leaders were appalled, and rightly so, that an Oct. 9 Twin Cities Democratic Socialists of America statement about the horrific Oct. 7 Hamas attacks in Israel (which involved the murder, rape, torture and kidnappings of civilians) did not mention the Hamas atrocities, nor did it condemn them. [Opinion editor's note: On Oct. 12, the Twin Cities DSA released a new statement condemning Hamas' attacks on Israeli civilians.] As the commentary by DFL leaders noted, the Oct. 9 Twin Cities DSA's statement "reiterated the TCDSA's routinely belligerent stance toward Israel, concluding with the slogan: 'From the River to Sea!,' which is a battle cry to eliminate the world's only Jewish state."

Meanwhile, Beckman never once mentions anything about this in his Oct. 27 piece. Not one word about Israel, or Hamas, or Palestinians, or the Middle East, or any aspect of the actual reason why the leaders in the DFL were understandably disgusted by the original DSA statement and thus did not feel they could endorse any DSA-backed City Council candidates. I thought when you were writing a "counterpoint," you were actually supposed to, you know, counter the point?

Perhaps Beckman realized that such an utterly morally bankrupt position by the Twin Cities DSA was so indefensible that he should just change the subject. Hopefully local Democratic voters will also notice the attempt to change the subject. Very telling.

Dan Israel, St. Louis Park