To the editor: I recognize and appreciate the points that columnists Anita Chabria and Mark Z. Barabak expressed in their recent commentary (“America tried something new in 2025. It’s not going well,” Dec. 28). While I have a certain degree of agreement, I question if they are overlooking an important factor.
President Trump is a skilled orator and a great salesperson, a la P.T. Barnum. Like many great salespeople, truth is not always a major consideration. But we already knew Trump wasn’t the most honest president; after all, the Washington Post counted 30,573 false or misleading claims during his first term.
To me, we should be focusing on the Republican Party. Their support and lack of courage have allowed the attacks on democracy to be successful.
I am not anti-Republican and believe that for democracy to continue to exist, we need a two-party system. But the Republican Party today is not the Republican Party of many great previous Republican leaders. The Republican Party of today represents Trump only.
Our democracy was set up so that everyone could have an equal say. Each state is different and all have their strengths and weaknesses. But the Congress of the United States was made to compromise for the good of all. Over the years, there have been far left-wing and far right-wing politics that have not been successful because they only serve their own narrow viewpoints.
We must get together and remember that, good and bad, we’re all in this together. Compromise, consideration and balance is the fiber for the greatness of our democracy.
Walter Oliver, Santa Paula