Opinion: Campaign 2016: The world’s in turmoil, and we focus on the trivial

To the editor: The excellent Times editorial should be put directly in the hands of every journalist in this country.

(“The distracted campaign,” Editorial, Sept. 13)

You very rightly call out the fact that the media is focusing on trivia, name-calling and issues like a case of pneumonia that anyone could contract.

But the fact that it was Secretary Hillary Clinton, it became a story that eclipsed everything else in the world.

As a voter, I want facts — not stories that gin up more Clinton conspiracy theories.

Jay Slater, Los Angeles

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To the editor: You hit it out of the park on this one.

As Donald Trump uses his weapons of mass distraction, and the news cycle peddles furiously to keep up, Trump’s version of the National Enquirer is our new standard for the center of political gravity.

Climate change? The World Health Organization estimates tens of thousands of additional deaths and damage from human-caused climate change. Weather extremes and sea level rising beyond the normal range are predicted to cost this nation trillions of dollars.

Trump’s answer. Boring! Let’s get to the really interesting stuff, like how long it takes for Clinton to say something about fainting. Trump plays us like a fiddle.

Jan Freed, Los Angeles

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To the editor: A well-balanced editorial ending with: “Treating Clinton’s pneumonia is easy. The rest is hard.”

But what’s missing are what should be the next few words: “including Trump’s repulsive con-manship.””

Benni Korzen, Los Angeles

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To the editor: The Times has adequately described substantive issues that should be discussed by the presidential candidates.

However, the American public has rightly focused on personal traits of the candidates that can undermine achieving any of their stated policies.

From my perspective, Trump is a con artist and autocrat whose primary goal is to become the American president.

Clinton has deficiencies. She becomes temporarily phobic when she thinks of right-wing Republicans. She has withheld and distorted information that she thought would embarrass her or hurt her politically.

However, she sincerely wants to make life safer for all Americans and better for America’s economic lower and middle classes.

She has the skills to work effectively with Congress to achieve those goals.

Marc Jacobson, Los Angeles

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To the editor: Stop spotlighting the latest “junk” from the campaign trail. Instead focus on the candidates’ ideas and proposals.

Do I care about President Obama’s daily health report, or about Trump’s, and whether they “shared” with the nation? No. Ditto for Clinton. I want a president I can trust to keep secrets – that’s her.

David Weaver, San Juan Capistrano

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To the editor: The Times opines that we are currently “’ignoring the world’s ills” by focusing on the health and well-being of the potential leader of the free world.

On the contrary, it is absolutely crucial that America and the free world are led by a president who is completely coherent and highly available to deal with all serious issues, both domestic and foreign.

Clinton contracting pneumonia is perhaps superficially minor, but being unable to testify before Congress because she fell, hit her head, and was unavailable is in itself very serious. Disclosing the medical records of all presidential candidates should not be voluntary. The Times has said that we should pull the lever for Clinton. I do not think that is in the free world’s best interest.

Vic Miranda, Agoura Hills

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To the editor: Plaudits to The Times for rebuking media outlets (especially cable news shows with “round-robins of political surrogates’) that relentlessly focus on presidential campaign trivialities while ignoring consequential issues.

But what can we expect when media enterprises must turn a profit? They’ve learned that the masses increasingly prefer fanciful fluff over coherent analyses.

Edward Alston, Santa Maria

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