Trump supporters more likely to turn out and vote

There is no doubt the polls don’t look good for Donald Trump. However, there are three good reasons they should not be taken as in any way decisive. First, as Cameron Stewart alludes to (“Trump fights to the finish”, 17-18/10), Trump has a much more enthusiastic base of supporters. Given voting is not compulsory in the US Trump supporters are more likely to turn out and vote for him. People may say they prefer Joe Biden to Trump in a poll but that doesn’t mean they will actually bother to vote for him. This will be particularly noticeable among the more left-wing Democrats.

Second, when it comes to the crunch, despite what they may say, many people will vote for the candidate they think will best manage the economy and polls show Trump winning more support on this issue. As Bill Clinton said, “It’s the economy, stupid”. Third, there is an element of “the shy Tory” at work. Many conservative-leaning voters are unwilling to admit to supporting Trump; perhaps they have even been made to feel guilty for supporting him.

In the cold light of election day many may even hold their nose and vote for a man they have serious misgivings about, but who they believe will act in their own best interests.

Bruce Armstrong, Buderim, Qld

Peter Van Onselen’s “For decency’s sake, Trump must not be returned” (17-18/10) wants a new US president. A Democrat, of course. Van Onselen states correctly that he admires the democratic ideals of the US and its relative benevolence as a superpower. He also correctly states the damage done to US society in the past four years, including to conservatism, has been significant.

The problem is he is blaming Donald Trump for the division and not the real perpetrators — the radical left, Black Lives Matter and Antifa, to name a few. These organisations have played the racial card as a method to whip up dissent.

Trump as a human being leaves a bit to be desired, but let’s look at what he has achieved. He has made the US economy viable again, achieved unemployment levels satisfying many people, made the US self-reliant in energy, stood up to the Chinese, brought manufacturing back home and brokered a deal in the Middle East that may achieve some peace.

Contrast this to the Democrats, which have been taken over by the left and are not the party of the Kennedy era. If you want a socialist America, keep spinning the spin.

Peter Hawks, Invermay, Vic

Peter van Onselen bemoans “the way so-called conservative commentators and politicians have abided Donald Trump” yet exhibits one and two, Israel and Taiwan, will help explain. Progressives said Trump moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem must lead to greater hostility and confrontation in the Middle East — except peace broke out as Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates became just the third and fourth nations in that region to recognise the Jewish state and Riyadh now permits Israeli planes to transit Saudi airspace.

After Israel, Taiwan is the next sovereign nation least formally recognised by the world and Trump is possibly the only man on Earth with the capacity and courage to remedy this, too. Appeasement could not save us from Hitler and woke Democrats will not deter Xi Jinping. Joe Biden’s team will lead us to war, not from it.

Greg Jones, Kogarah, NSW

It appears it will take a miracle for Donald Trump to be re-elected. The US, the world and, in particular, Taiwan can ill afford a Joe Biden win. Aside from his age and obvious cognitive dysfunction, Biden projects the image of a weak individual, not that of a president and commander in chief.

Amanda Hodge’s article “Uneasy region fears giant fallout” (17-18/10) gives a clear analysis of why the world’s biggest threat is China, especially after the Obama administration, with Biden as vice-president, failed to prevent its militarising of disputed islands in the South China Sea.

Paul Wolfowitz, in “A history lesson for Taiwan” (16/10), revealed North Korea initially did not invade South Korea after Stalin refused support because of the US presence. This changed when China fell to the CCP in 1949 and US mentors left China.

Xi Jinping is clearly uneasy in challenging Trump’s unpredictability. The cellar-bound and masked image of Biden fails to project a forceful persona. The apprehension of uncertainty may be the difference between conflict or rivalry between two superpower leaders.

Ian Kent, Renmark, SA