A postmortem of 2022 election

A frog will allow itself to be boiled alive if the temperature is increased gradually over time, according to a popular metaphor. It is rich for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to say that we were at the edge of autocracy, wisely stepped back and can easily wind up there again if, implicitly, we don’t get with his program ["Schumer urges Republicans to reject far right," News, Nov. 14].

He then has the audacity to say that one of his first orders of business will be to again raise the debt ceiling. Notice how little discussion is given to the pernicious and deleterious effect of this on the working and middle classes, the supposedly bedrock of the Democratic Party. Monetary policy can undermine national security.

There will come a time when our creditors deem us to be a credit risk and will invest their assets elsewhere. When this painful reckoning occurs, we will all be the frog who allowed itself to be boiled alive.

Marc Schenck, Albertson

While New York Democrats are wondering how they lost the congressional races, they ignore the obvious ["Here's why New York Dems lost," Letters, Nov. 16]. Misinformation about zero bail, the cause of inflation, the cause of oil prices, and the constant refrain of "radical liberal" for even the most centrist policies, all had their effect. Long Island went for gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin in a big way. He betrayed his military and congressional oath by denying the results of the 2020 presidential election and sending texts about discrediting the results to former President Donald Trump's White House. His use of a video clip from Oakland, California, to portray crime in New York, and his opposition to the Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act and the bill protecting a woman's right to use contraception indicates that Long Islanders don't look for facts; they want a show.

The elected Republicans promised to fight whatever Democrats propose under the guise of calling everything "socialism" or "radical." They have indicated they will put party above country, hyperbole above common sense.

Russell Alexander, Brentwood

Most election deniers lost in this midterm election. However, on Long Island, the results are quite different. We watched most Long Islanders vote for Rep. Lee Zeldin, who had voted to overturn a lawful, legal and fair presidential election in violation of the oath of his office. Instead of voting him down, most Long Islanders cast their ballots to reward him by attempting to elevate him to a higher office. Democrats and Republicans can disagree on many things but they should not when it comes to defending our democracy.

Rich DeVito, Long Beach

It happened here in Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's own backyard. The House flips red and, perhaps as a result, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will step down from leadership. New York and especially Long Island voters played a big part in turning the blue gavel to red. Democracy at its best.

Mike Franza Sr., Hewlett

Why we cast our ballots this way

After Election Day, we asked readers to tell us why they voted as they did. They weighed candidates and also the parties at large. Here are three more responses:

Imagine my surprise at how many readers feel the way I feel. There is no way I would vote for anyone believing in "stop the steal" or prevent a woman's right to control her body.

As a registered Democrat probably leaning a little left, I have always voted for whoever I felt would benefit Long Island, New York or the country the best. I voted for Republican Andrew Garbarino for Congress this year. But I feel former President Donald Trump is a cancer. His vitriol is sickening. He and others who support him feel they can treat opposition with disdain as if it is an acceptable right. The two parties, with extremes on both sides, need to focus on what is best for the majority of our citizens, not what they think is the majority.

Pat O'Hara, North Babylon

I am a registered Democrat, although I'm not sure how long more that will be the case. I voted all Democrat across-the-board. I did this mainly because I felt that just about every Republican candidate provided few details about their positions about the issues we face and resorted to a scorched-earth campaign of fearmongering.

The Democratic Party in New York almost blew this election for statewide candidates. They failed to counter the fearmongering, and the GOP's preelection spin that predicted a red wave almost did come true. It gained three seats, two of them on Long Island.

The state Democrats did so little to motivate voters that it was almost as if the party didn't exist.

Denis O'Driscoll, Westbury

My reaction to the 2022 election is disappointment. I cannot believe so many Long Islanders would let their hatred of former President Donald Trump cause them to vote for the Democratic Party. This is not the Democratic Party of our fathers. This party is so left it is almost socialism. Look what has happened in just two years: record-breaking inflation (have you been to the supermarket lately?), gas prices over the top (Democrats want to keep the Keystone Pipeline closed), crime increasing, many 401(k) accounts down as much as 25%. Democrats seem to ignore the middle class. While the rich can withstand this inflation, the poor just get more help. Our national debt continues to rise with no end in sight. Rep. Lee Zeldin would have been the right choice to take this state into the future. But because he was a Trump supporter, he lost the gubernatorial vote and New York is in trouble.

Peter De Martin, Coram