Oct. 3, 2025 6 AM PT
To the editor: For individuals who, like me, have been sickened by the deep political divide that now plagues our nation, I extremely advocate studying collectively two articles from the Los Angeles Occasions’ Oct. 1 version.
The primary, by columnist Jonah Goldberg, highlights how the extreme politics of our two main events, coupled with their stranglehold over our major processes, have compelled many, if not most of us, to have interaction in “lesser of two evils” voting — or not voting in any respect (“Why everyone is rushing to label themselves an ‘independent,’” Sept. 30). The sensible result’s that we now have quite a few “leaders” of each events (albeit at the moment extra overtly on the Republican aspect) who’ve eschewed frequent decency and customary sense as pillars of their workplace in favor of blind celebration allegiance and a “win in any respect prices” ethos.
The second, columnist Mark Z. Barabak’s article profiling the choice management mannequin introduced by the present mayor of San José, Matt Mahan, suggests a possible path out of this morass (“He’s a real pain for Gavin Newsom. And a rising Democratic star,” Oct. 1). Simply think about electing leaders who will criticize others of their very own celebration when acceptable, who’re ready to push again on the excesses of monied pursuits and who’re extra targeted on fixing powerful issues than scoring factors in opposition to the opposite aspect.
Getting there gained’t be straightforward, however not making an attempt not looks as if a viable choice.
Russ Swartz, Granada Hills
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To the editor: Matt Mahan is a breath of recent air as a politician. He appears targeted on real looking options moderately than the identical outdated political demagoguery. He’s not afraid to name out the Democratic institution as “a membership of insiders who maintain one another” and who, as Barabak paraphrases, “largely go alongside to get alongside.”
Based on Mahan, “political success and coverage success comes from providing higher concepts and demonstrating impression,” not simply telling “individuals issues that take a look at nicely” after which blaming the opposite aspect. You don’t hear that too typically from politicians.
David Waldowski, Laguna Woods
