Dismissive attitude some Dems display could earn Trump a second term

Trump supporters aren’t buffoons

First Lady Michelle Obama tells Oprah “now, we are feeling what not having hope feels like” in relation to Donald Trump’s election.

Hillary Clinton refers to Trump supporters as “deplorables.”

Two gay men are accused of harassing Ivanka Trump while boarding an airplane.

Democrats can’t understand exactly how they lost, and thus Trump supporters are buffoons who deserve to be treated in a dismissive manner.

Only problem is that if Democrats don’t figure it out, all those buffoons will ensure a second term for Trump.

Seems Gen. Flynn is a latter-day Pilate

Designated national security adviser Michael Flynn recently recommended that Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen be extradited into the hands of the Turkish president.

This is disturbing for two reasons: because Gen. Flynn runs a consulting firm that lobbies on behalf of Turkish interests and because Gulen has broken no American laws, only exercised his right to free speech.

Gen. Flynn looks like a latter day Pontius Pilate by selling out a religious leader who promotes tolerance and moderation.

The erosion of the civil rights of “others” may seem benign, but can be a first step toward tyranny.

Heed border lesson Berlin attack brings

Anis Amri was killed in Italy following his murderous attack in Berlin. Armi, an ISIS-inspired terrorist, was able to flee Germany due to its open-border policy. Perhaps America can learn from this attack and make border security its No. 1 priority.

This Republican won’t support N.C. GOP

The N.C. GOP is an embarrassment to our party. I would urge those on the left to press the DNC to invest its full energy and resources to field exceptional candidates for the N.C. House and get them elected.

It’s clear N.C. GOP cannot be trusted

From the blatant power grab that brought shame on our state, to the shenanigans of breaking the promise to repeal HB2, the N.C. GOP has demonstrated it cannot be trusted and would rather score political points than work for the best interest of North Carolina.

Instead of being a leader in our nation like we used to be, our state is the the subject of national ridicule and fodder for late-night comedians.

End the gerrymandering so we can end the radical, right-wing control of our state that has already cost us so much.

Too much power given to small states

A president should be elected by a direct vote by the people, not by electors representing the states.

The Electoral College system gives voters in small states disproportional power.

A missed chance to bury power lines

What a shame that the planning for this project did not involve finally starting to bury Charlotte’s power lines.

This would be a perfect opportunity to piggyback on the digging that is already taking place.

It would create jobs and vastly improve both the city’s aesthetic appeal and our quality of life.

Empty Stocking challenges us to help

Thank you to The Observer and gifted feature writer Mark Price for bringing the stories of the Empty Stocking Fund to life in a way that brightened the season for those whose live in the shadows.

We are a city of wealth and faith, and yet too many of our neighbors must do without, not just at Christmas but all year long.

Children in Charlotte lacking the basic necessities, lacking hope.

Thank you to Mark and the newspaper for reminding us of that shameful fact, and challenging us to do something about it.

This story was originally published December 27, 2016 at 4:07 PM with the headline "Dismissive attitude some Dems display could earn Trump a second term."