Readers Write: Republican support for Kamala Harris, Senate race, James Lileks

Opinion editor’s note: Strib Voices publishes letters from readers online and in print each day. To contribute, click here.

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On Aug. 13 Michael Brodkorb penned the commentary “My time for choosing: I’m a Republican and I’m endorsing Harris and Walz” (Opinion Exchange), the title of which evidences its content. A frequent contributor to the Readers Write section scolded Brodkorb the next day for abandoning Donald Trump’s candidacy only on personality grounds. That contributor asked the somewhat rhetorical question: “Would you support a candidate of a different name but one who harbors the same agenda?”

Assuming the contributor used the word “agenda” to equate to political policy positions, this seems to be a rephrased version of, “I don’t particularly like Trump, but I agree with his policies.” I hear this a lot, but I think that attitude misses the forest for the trees. Trump has one main policy over all others — a “prime directive,” if you will: that which will give Donald Trump more power. Everything else is secondary. Given his demonstrated willingness to lie (a “Vesuvius of mendacities,” according to George Will), any of his secondary “policies” are subject to change at any time.

Trump wants only power: Jan. 6, 2021, elaborate schemes to overturn election results, his stated desire to be dictator. To answer the contributor’s question of whether I’d vote for someone, not Trump, with that same agenda, the answer is obvious.

David George Johnson, Sartell, Minn.

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I believe that longtime Republicans like Brodkorb supporting Kamala Harris for president despite disagreeing with many of her policies can be explained by the unusual way the role of president is structured under our form of government. The role of president combines two functions, head of government and head of state, that under other forms of government are filled by different people. As head of government, like the prime minister in England, the president advances the domestic and foreign policies upon which he or she and the party he or she represents campaigned. Supporters of Trump, like those who wrote objecting to Brodkorb’s stance, take the view represented the next day in the letters headline “Policy and person are not the same” and argue that Trump deserves support because they support his policies.

But as head of state, the president also serves the functions akin to the king or queen of the United Kingdom as the symbolic representative of all the people. Some of this is ceremonial, welcoming foreign dignitaries or Olympic champions, sending our proclamations on national holidays and the like. I also believe this includes the promise he or she makes while taking the oath of office, to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.”

Unlike Brodkorb, I disagree with most policies that Trump would propose as head of government. But I suspect that he and I agree that Trump has shown himself as incapable and unfit to fulfill the role of head of state. This includes protecting our democracy. To cite only the most flagrant example, Trump showed himself unwilling to do so during the events leading up to and through Jan. 6, 2021. Moreover, some people will say they do not like Trump’s divisive, demeaning tweets or statements, but they believe overall he did a good job as president. I submit that these show an inability to fulfill one of the core roles of the office, as head of state, to protect the rights and lift up the dignity of all Americans, whether they support his policies or not.

So yes, policy and person are not the same. I have lived nearly half of my long life under Republican presidents who pursued policies with which I often disagreed. But I never experienced one who so consistently communicated contempt for Americans who disagree with him or gave cause for concern that our democratic institutions are threatened. I believe past behavior has shown that Trump the person is not fit and moreover is incapable of fulfilling all of the roles of the presidential office. I suspect this is why Brodkorb and other Republicans who oppose him are stepping forward.

John McGuire, Rochester

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It was refreshing to read the commentary offered by Brodkorb. The commentary focuses on the 2024 presidential election and his frustration with the Republican Party and its willingness to continue to support a candidate unfit for the presidency. As a former deputy chair of the Republican Party of Minnesota, his perspective and opinion carries a substantial degree of credibility. His message is directed primarily toward fellow Republicans and offers a departure from the tribal politics that have dominated the political landscape. During the six presidential elections from 1992 until 2012, he, not surprisingly, voted for the Republican candidate. However, this year he supports the Harris-Walz ticket because of the hope and optimism they represent.

He knows many Trump “supporters” privately admit they do not support him but they feel trapped by the party’s cult of personality around him. That brings us right to the topic of tribal politics and peer pressure — they work together, have a perpetuating effect on the party and explain how and why a candidate such as Trump somehow has survived the chaos he leaves in his wake. The author believes candidate Harris is qualified, capable and committed to the country’s best interests. This is in stark contrast to candidate Trump, who seems to only have selfish interests. One final thought: What did the newly elected president Trump do within a month of his swearing-in when most in that position would be eager to roll up their sleeves and start working on the important duties and responsibilities of a president? He was busy organizing a re-election rally.

Patrick Bloomfield, Chisholm, Minn.

Sorry, Republicans. The Star Tribune on Aug. 14 wrote that “Royce White will go up against Amy Klobuchar.” The article reported that “White pulled off a decisive win at the Minnesota Republican Party’s endorsing convention in May” and that “White’s supporters at the GOP state convention backed him despite his controversial past that includes using antisemitic and derogatory slurs to attack critics on social media and using past campaign funds at a strip club and high-end hotels.”

White called himself an outsider and he was right — he is an outsider.

We Americans are tired of hearing about potential court cases and who might be the next politician to go to jail. There are many Republicans with a respectable past who can make a difference that benefits our outstanding country. I stand by them. I’m sorry that their party has been hijacked.

I’m a Democrat who feels both sides can make healthy decisions to make a healthy country!

Judy Ann Nagel, Minneapolis

I was surprised and saddened to learn that James Lileks won’t be writing his humorous column for the Star Tribune anymore.

His writings about everyday life with a twist always made that a laugh-out-loud day for me. I will miss that part of my morning.

James Lileks: Thank you for many years of enjoyment. I love your sense of humor, and I hope it follows you in your next journalism path.

Nancy Nichols, Oak Park Heights