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Dear Editor:
My dad cautioned me about impulse spending. “Sleep on it”, he’d say. If the shiny new widget held my attention until morning, then buy it. Such insight saved me a lot of money.
Decades later, I’ve learned how this thinking applies to other things – like voting.
Last year, when former N.Y. Governor Andrew Cuomo received rave reviews during his early handling of the COVID crisis, there were giddy whispers about a possible draft Cuomo movement. While I wasn’t convinced, I didn’t dismiss the idea totally. Former VP Joe Biden was struggling in the Democratic presidential primaries, and a younger, more forceful personality had some appeal. I slept on the idea, Cuomo’s sexual harassment story broke, and Dad’s theory proved accurate again.
Another of my fleeting hopes was that America would finally witness a civil, thoughtful campaign between two seasoned candidates. This would have required the Republicans to push Donald Trump aside in favor of someone more statesmanlike. Trump’s exit would then force both sides to address – yes, I’m serious – issues. Obviously, I have something to learn about wishful thinking.
Campaigns test our ability to evaluate candidates. Among Republicans, Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.), the first African-American to serve in both chambers of Congress, might be worth watching, and N.Y. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez turns 35 before Election Day 2024.
It will also be interesting to see if hopefuls like Nikki Haley, Mike Pompeo, Ted Cruz, and others dutifully step aside in case Donald Trump runs again.
Good luck sleeping through that.
Jim Newton
Itasca, Ill.