Outraged pundits are no doubt already saying that only sexists and racists could have voted for Donald Trump, but what’s someone to do who detests Trump’s morals but believes that the open borders and single-payer health care espoused by Kamala Harris would be the ruin of America? A similar situation arose in the presidential election of 1884 when candidate Cleveland had fathered a child out of wedlock but refused to marry the mother, and was accused of various other unprintable acts. The opposition candidate Blaine held political views that were anathema to many Americans.

A reformer suggested “We should elect Mr. Cleveland to the public office he is so admirably qualified to fill and remand Mr. Blaine to the private life he is so eminently fitted to adorn.” It looks like this has happened again. Democrats could have won this election by nominating a moderate; a California liberal who didn’t make it through the first round of the 2020 primaries might have enthused liberal Democrats but didn’t cut it with middle Americans. Harris will still be the first Black Asian woman president if Joe Biden resigns in the next month, and he may already have the letter written.

Roy Schweiker

Concord