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Affinities

Posted

To the editor:

Theodore Roosevelt’s third term was adventurous, defying the two-party system’s rules. Like him, Presidents Reagan and Trump, known for their grit and strong leadership, survived assassination attempts.

Trump, often compared to Roosevelt and Reagan, faced an assassination attempt during his campaign. Like Roosevelt, he won decisively and solidified his leadership, drawing parallels to Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt and Reagan.

George Washington, a revered figure, is compared to Cincinnatus, a Roman general who voluntarily relinquished power after defending his nation. This comparison is apt for leaders who endure hardships and make significant historical contributions.

Donald Trump embodies this quality, willing to sacrifice his interests for the greater good. Americans will debate Trump’s legacy for generations.  

Robert Sica

Comments

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  • harryw

    Donald Trump dreams about NOT relinquishing power and having a third term.

    He is not sacrificing his FINANCIAL interests,…he is monetizing his presidency..including the selling of pardons.

    Tuesday, May 27 Report this

  • reenjoe

    This letter comes from someone who criticizes others for putting hyperbole and partisan political rhetoric in their letters, while writing love letters to Trump like the one above.

    Trump is the most corrupt president in American history and that is saying something. Selling cryptocurrency to foreign leaders in exchange for access, pardons for contributions and promoting Tesla vehicle sales from the White House lawn. Taking a $400 million gift from an Arab Potentate and $40 million from Amazon for the rights to a documentary on the First Lady that no one is interested in seeing or reading about.

    BTW, TR's 3rd term was more than adventurous; it was imaginary. He ran and lost. As for Trump comparisons to past political leaders, Boss Tweed comes to mind.

    Tuesday, May 27 Report this

  • J.Donne

    Your criticisms of Donald Trump’s alleged corruption, particularly regarding cryptocurrency deals, pardons, and gifts from foreign leaders, are characterized by hyperbole and partisan bias. In reference to the letter titled “Affinities,” Theodore Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan, and Donald Trump, all renowned for their leadership abilities, successfully evaded assassination attempts (a historical fact). Like Roosevelt and Reagan, Trump emerged victorious and solidified his leadership, drawing parallels to the esteemed leaders Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt, and Reagan. Your commentary, if I could define it as such, lacks objectivity and fails to address the central topic of discussion in the aforementioned letter.

    Once more, you fail to grasp the meaning of clear English; your third paragraph is delusional, which is quite unfortunate, Sherlock!

    Wednesday, May 28 Report this

  • krell1349

    Sacrifice for the greater good? No grift for himself!!! It's so obvious what he is doing. He is so corrupt.

    Wednesday, May 28 Report this

  • reenjoe

    J. Donne, as Reagan would say "there you go again" - using your favorite worn-out terms "hyperbole and partisan bias" to dismiss what you cannot defend, Trump's blatant dishonesty.

    Yes, Trump, Reagan and TR survived assassination attempts. All three gained the presidency, as did Washington and Lincoln. They are all White males. That's where the parallels end. Trump has as much in common with Washington, Lincoln and TR as the Yugo has to a Rolls Royce, Bentley or Mercedes. I won't argue a comparison to Reagan, post Alzheimer's. I can easily see that comparison after hearing Trump's West Point speech.

    As for objectivity, might I suggest a mirror. Believing Trump is "willing to sacrifice his interests for the greater good" is the very definition of delusional,

    Wednesday, May 28 Report this

  • Admin

    Sica and Donne should try to write novels. When you're writing fiction, you don't have to worry about those petty things called facts.

    Wednesday, May 28 Report this

  • J.Donne

    Trump, like Roosevelt and Reagan, won decisively, solidifying his leadership and drawing parallels to Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt, and Reagan—a fact!

    Regarding the fact-checking of the aforementioned letter, it is entirely accurate and factual. I suppose what constitutes fact and fiction depends on one’s political stance. I have no issue with that assessment; that’s why I express my opinions without attempting to be dogmatic!

    Thursday, May 29 Report this

  • reenjoe

    The only fact in the first paragraph of Donne's last post is that TR (1904) and Reagan (1984) won decisive victories. Trump's 2024 victory, though surprising given that he is a convicted felon, was hardly decisive having received less than half the popular vote (49.8%).

    The rest of that paragraph "solidifying his (Trump's) leadership and drawing parallels to Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt, and Reagan" is what Donne would call - opinion, replete with hyperbole and partisan political bias.

    BTW, the 2024 Presidential Greatness Project, which polls presidential historians and political scientists who specialize in presidential politics and policy, ranked Trump45 DEAD LAST; 45th out of 45!

    Lincoln, Washington and TR were ranked first, third and fourth and Reagan was ranked 16th (Biden, 14th, placed 31 spots ahead of Trump). I doubt Trump47 will move up in future PGP rankings.

    Friday, May 30 Report this

  • J.Donne

    In your above post, you state that Trump's 2024 victory, though surprising, was not decisive—I disagree! Trump won the 2024 presidential election decisively, in a way that leaves no margin of doubt. ( Trump is the 47th president of the U.S. )

    Trump: 312 electoral votes.

    Harris: 212 electoral votes.

    ( To win the U.S. presidential election, a candidate needs 270 electoral votes. Trump secured a decisive victory by accumulating 312 electoral votes.)

    The letter, titled Affinities, states that Teddy Roosevelt, Reagan, and Trump, all survived assassination attempts—fact. Trump, like Roosevelt and Reagan, won decisively and solidified his leadership—fact!

    The aforementioned letter does not allude to presidential ranking. Stick to the topic!

    Monday, June 2 Report this

  • reenjoe

    J. Donne, the entire point of the letter in question is a comparison of Trump to other U.S. Presidents. With Trump being universally regarded as our nation's worst president by those who research and study America's leaders, comparing him to three of our best presidents (GW, AL & TR) is ridiculous.

    As I wrote previously, Trump is to Washington, Lincoln and TR as the Yugo is to a Rolls, Bentley or Mercedes. A sentence in which Trump is compared to Roosevelt or Reagan would more appropriately go like this:

    "Trump is nothing like the great leaders of our past, such as Theodore Roosevelt; he even pales when compared to middling presidents like Ronald Reagan."

    Monday, June 2 Report this

  • J.Donne

    J. Donne

    Reenjoe, Comparing President Trump to Washington, Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt is relevant to the Letter, Affinities. However, since Trump’s second term is still in its early stages, it’s premature to assess Trump’s standing compared to other U.S. presidents. Comparing Donald Trump to middle-of-the-road presidents like Ronald Reagan is subjective and reflects your personal opinion. When discussing political topics, I prefer to stay focused and avoid tangents!

    (I’m open to discussing Trump’s standing among all U.S. presidents at the end of Trump’s second presidential term.)

    Monday, June 2 Report this

  • reenjoe

    J. Donne, two points:

    1. It was the over 150 historians and political scientists involved in the 2024 Presidential Greatness Project (not my "personal opinion") that assessed Reagan as middling by ranking him 16 out of 45.

    2. It was also the PGP historians who, in 2024, ranked Trump45 (his entire first term) as America's worst president; 45th out of 45.

    It is my opinion that Trump47 will remain last in future PGP listings.

    Tuesday, June 3 Report this