Senate candidate Cal Cunningham hit ‘send’ on those sexts. I can’t get past that.

I can’t get past Cunningham’s actions

Regarding “Cal Cunningham isn’t the first Democratic candidate from NC caught up in a sex scandal,” (Oct. 4):

As much as this article tried to normalize Cal Cunningham’s sexting, comparing his actions to President Trump, John Edwards, and suggesting it’s a casualty of our modern times, I just can’t drink the Kool-Aid. Even if I could get by the sleaze factor, anyone who writes sexually explicit texts or emails and pushes “send” knowing it can be forwarded, copied or shared isn’t dealing with a full deck.

Roy Brown, Charlotte

Remember, Trump still got elected

Hopefully, Republicans won’t criticize Cal Cunningham for a stupid mistake. Just remember, Cunningham had a sexting scandal with a woman, Trump had sex with multiple women and Republicans still voted for him.

Robert DeNapoli, Fort Mill

Cunningham must get out of the race

Where is the outrage from N.C. Democrats? Where is the clamoring for moral superiority? While Cal Cunningham has his sexts gracing the front-page of the Charlotte Observer, N.C. Democrats are remarkably silent on his self-inflicted shaming of himself, his family, his state and his party.

Cunningham must withdraw from North Carolina’s senate race now.

Jay Lewis, Davidson

Which candidate showed compassion?

When Joe Biden learned of President Trump’s unfortunate COVID-19 diagnosis, he said he prayed for his speedy recovery. He also instructed his campaign to pull any negative ad off the air.

When Donald Trump learned Hillary Clinton was suffering with pneumonia in 2016, he repeatedly mocked her at his rallies by saying she was weak for contracting it and pantomimed her to the glee of his audience as a frail person who couldn’t walk.

Only one of these men showed the compassion I’d like to see in a candidate.

Lee Fluke, Charlotte

Trump’s aha moment comes too late

President Trump proclaimed Sunday from his perch inside the presidential suite at Walter Reed: “Now I get it!”

Upon hearing that I felt a deep sense of sorrow and frustration knowing we’re now more than nine months into this pandemic and there’s still no coherent national plan.

If the president had contracted COVID-19 in February, instead of October, would he have had the same “aha” moment? Would it have changed his administration’s response from, “I don’t want to alarm the American people” to “this is serious, we’ve got to inform the public immediately”? Would he have declared a national emergency, fully utilized his powers under the Defense Production Act, and brought the full weight and resources of the federal government into action immediately?

Unfortunately, we’ll never know.

Ken Williams, Fort Mill

Court selection process is broken

Regarding “The Supreme Court bind that Dems face is their own fault,” (Oct. 4 Opinion):

Marc Thiessen’s 21st Century Supreme Court history lesson went well beyond the partisan focus in its presentation and ultimately emphasized how broken the Supreme Court selection process truly is. The tenure of a member of the high court should first be limited, and secondly, should not be treated as one of the exclusively controlled spoils of winning the majority party in the U.S. Senate.

Doug Bennett, Charlotte

Vote competence, not political party

We are well past our ignorant party loyalty. Our duty is to the America that we will leave to our offspring.

As a PhD economist, I am concerned about our deficit. I am concerned with the environment and climate I will leave to my children. I am concerned that we are the only nation without a rational healthcare program. I am concerned that our legislators can be so easily bought.

We are a broken nation. The Electoral College lacks validity. It was a necessary evil in 1800 when much of the nation was illiterate and a drink could purchase a vote. We’re a long way from that. Vote competence, not party.

Douglas Sherrow, Mint Hill

It’s an existential election for me

Politicians usually disappoint and I typically vote for the “lesser of two evils” candidate. This year is a different story. It is not a “lesser of two evils” choice, rather a choice between a livable versus a non-livable world.

Global climate change impacts already are injecting steroids into the myriad of social ills the world faces. Chaotic weather, harsher storms, bigger fires, and rising seas will fan the flames of racism, poverty, disease and conflict to breaking points.

Joe Biden and the Democrats are committed to rising to this challenge. Trump, Tillis, and the rest of the Republican Party are committed to denying climate change reality.

This time your vote will determine if we move forward into a livable future or regress into chaos and destruction.

Roger Helm, Asheville

This story was originally published October 5, 2020 at 3:39 PM.