Letters: Agreeing, disagreeing with Newsday’s Hillary Clinton endorsement

The Newsday editorial board endorsed Hillary Clinton for president and explained why it believes Donald Trump is incapable of leading the country. The board asked for your response. Here is a representative sample of what readers had to say:

I want more economic growth and not more stagnancy. I want closed and monitored borders and reformed, affordable health care and not socialized medicine.

I want tax reform not higher taxes. I want to see more “Made in the USA.” I want reformed legal immigration and not amnesty for millions. I want better education in our inner cities.

I want a hand up for those who need it, and not a hand out.

The choices are clear. I’m voting Republican, and that means voting for Donald Trump because I firmly stand on Republican and conservative issues.

I’m voting to send not only Trump to the White House but also all the experts he would take with him. Many of them are very good people.

Teresa Nankervis, Center Moriches

As the father of three daughters, two of whom will vote for the very first time in a presidential election, how can I advise them concerning our two candidates? We continue to see women come forward with similar stories about Donald Trump, yet we allow him to continue.

In recent years, politicians, celebrities, and sports figures have destroyed their reputations, lost jobs and lost endorsements because of their inability to control their desires. Yet, we appear to have come to accept a double standard.

We still don’t know who the real Hillary Clinton is. We’ve accepted her stories of private servers, destroyed emails and other transgressions — and she is allowed to continue. The only lesson I can advise my children is that it is their civic duty to vote in this election, but for whom?

Christopher J. Scheuer, North Babylon

I strongly disagree with Newsday’s assertion that Hillary Clinton is the right choice for president and that she is realistic about our nation’s problems. On the contrary, a corrupt politician like her does not deserve our vote.

Maurice Novelle, Freeport

Newsday is wrong. It’s Hillary Clinton who must never be president. She lied, ignored our embassy in Benghazi, bleached emails beyond retrieving and misused her powers. The Middle East is a mess.

Newsday is clueless about the passion for Donald Trump and the movement that hungers for his policies.

The Trump movement may well live on with or without Trump or the Republicans. I will not accept Clinton if she’s elected, and thousands of us agree.

Gordon Tomei, Centerport

As Newsday drifts through its ode to Hillary Clinton, the Benghazi sentence is worth a second look: “. . . but repeated congressional investigations failed to prove that she knew about and personally denied repeated requests for more security at the mission.”

You are missing the point. Clinton was secretary of state and in charge, so she alone is personally responsible for the deaths of four Americans, not her staff nor her advisers at state.

The deaths were compounded by the narrative the Obama administration embarked on and which Secretary Clinton went along with. The entire Benghazi incident disqualifies Clinton from the presidency.

Glenn Tyranski, Huntington

I can’t understand how Trump still has a chance to become our next president. Most of the media, including Newsday, along with some of our top Republican leaders, are speaking out against his demeanor and his beliefs. He has shown the world that he does not qualify or deserve the right to be in politics.

He should go back to his TV show, “The Apprentice,” where he acts like a god and knows everything. That is not reality, but being the president of the United States is.

Martin Blumberg, Melville

Newsday’s endorsement of Hillary Clinton failed to examine her comments supporting open borders and open trade. These policies would disproportionately hurt American workers.

As secretary of state, Clinton’s tenure was a colossal failure as defined by Libya, Iraq and Iran.

Michael P. Mulhall, Rockville Centre

Newsday endorses Hillary Clinton and says “she’s not without flaws and her secrecy is troubling.” If not for congressional and other inquiries on Benghazi, her illegal server wouldn’t have been uncovered.

Clinton avoids prosecution, and Newsday agrees that her actions were not a crime. The Obama White House needs Clinton to continue his failed legacy, so there was no prosecution.

Craig Boyer, Bayport

Like Newsday, I endorse Hillary Clinton with some reservations. I will be voting for her on the Working Families Party line.

After a long life in politics, Clinton survived by having two different personas. She became corporate-connected Clinton, because that is what you have to do in money-driven American politics. But she also has consistently made a difference for millions of average Americans as a champion of justice.

If enough progressives vote for Clinton on the WFP line, it could send a needed message to the Democratic Party.

Tom Lyon, Mount Sinai

Newsday has perfectly described the Democratic and Republican candidates for president. I agree with the appraisal of the situation and applaud your endorsement of Hillary Clinton to be our first “Madame President.”

I, too, believe she will work across the aisle to have the legislators of both parties address economic problems and address 21st century issues that plague America.

Joseph M. Bonelli, Oakdale

Newsday’s endorsement doesn’t mention what many of us believe to be the single most important issue in this election: the Supreme Court!

If we want Supreme Court justices who will protect our Constitution as written, Donald Trump is the only choice.

If we want justices who will shred the Constitution from the bench to serve a political agenda, Hillary Clinton is certain to deliver.

If we’re unhappy with our presidents, we can fire them in four years. But the justices they nominate? We’re stuck with them for life!

Frank Miller, Port Jefferson Station

I agree with Newsday that Hillary Clinton is a better choice for president than Donald Trump.

However, her unconscionable use of a private server for emails that included some classified national security-related messages rules out my voting for her.

Alas, if only minor-party candidate Gary Johnson had known what Aleppo was, I might have voted for him.

I still don’t know what I’m going to do on Election Day.

Richard Siegelman, Plainview

President Teddy Roosevelt once said, “The things that will destroy America are prosperity-at-any-price, peace-at-any price, safety-first instead of duty-first, the love of soft living and the get-rich-quick theory of life.”

When Donald Trump recklessly calls to frisk innocent people, dismisses people of certain religions, racially profiles people, excludes people from countries of his choice, dismisses opinions of distinguished women, etc., he embodies nothing that is beautiful about our country.

Do not let him divide and conquer us.

Rosemary Gonzalez, Farmingdale

It is long past time to retire the common way to describe this election — as a choice between the lesser of two evils. This is a false equivalency. There is only one “evil” in this race, and it is certainly not former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Is she perfect? No. But Clinton has spent her entire adult life helping those incapable of helping themselves, both at home and abroad, and both in front of the cameras and in private.

She worked to obtain health benefits for 9/11 first responders and helped to restore our international credibility after eight years of neoconservative failures. She’s a realist, and while she may not inspire with soaring oratory or bait young people with pie-in-the-sky promises, she does understand how government can be a catalyst to help improve the lives of everyday Long Islanders, New Yorkers and Americans.

She understands how America should lead in an increasingly globalized world. She knows how to govern and she’s quite good at it — just ask any Republican official during a non-election year.

Matt Schlesinger, Oceanside

I’m a fan of neither Hillary Clinton nor Donald Trump, but I have to speak up about the way Barack Obama has trashed Trump in a way that can be seen by other world leaders.

It’s expected that Obama would back Clinton, but he embarrassed our country and lowered the value of the presidency when he trashed a viable successor to the office.

Mike Donelon, Copiague

I’m a Republican, and Newsday’s endorsement of Hillary Clinton makes me feel that you are not really true and honest with the public.

Granted she has not been charged with a crime, but there is suspicion of wrongdoing. I believe Newsday in good conscience should have said, “Under these circumstances, Newsday makes no endorsement.” I’ve seen Newsday do this in other races.

Salvatore Polito, North Massapequa

Your piece on “How the editorial board endorses” [Opinion, Oct. 24] was interesting and informative. But the piece would have been more transparent if you had disclosed to readers the mix of Democrats and Republicans on the board.

Your desire to achieve what’s in the best interests of Long Island will not be realized if the majority of the editorial board operates within a liberal groupthink paradigm.

Robert D. Teetz, New Hyde Park

I supported Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008. I thought she was the best candidate. Now, eight years later, she has even more experience in the art of governance.

Today’s issues will affect us individually and communally for decades. The next president will choose justices of the Supreme Court, and their decisions will affect our freedoms, our elections and the very existence of our planet. The Supreme Court will make decisions concerning women’s rights, human rights, voting rights, gender rights and so much more that can affect our personal daily lives.

The next president will have to deal with climate change whether that person believes in it or not. This problem of monumental proportion will require creative thinking with the input of many on scientific and ethical issues. No one person will have the answer.

The next president will need to deal with violence around the world. We need a president who will not have knee-jerk reactions and meet violence with violence. We need a leader who is open to creative thinking about the root causes of violence and wants to address them for the long term.

Dee Hensen, Miller Place

I’m not voting for Hillary Clinton because our border needs securing. If a wall works, fine.

Free college? That means we will be paying more for something else. Stony Brook and Farmingdale are affordable!

Can we really vet Syrians and others who want to come here with any confidence? Clinton wants careful vetting. How? Through what agency?

As for health care, the Democrats lied, plain and simple. I cannot see the same doctors as before, my premiums rose, and my son lost his insurance because his employer said he could buy it himself.

I’m not voting for her, so guess I’m voting for him. She is part of the broken political system, and he’s not. I want change.

Ted Cecchini, Selden