Opinion: Should Democrats resist Trump or learn to pick their battles?

To the editor: Doyle McManus’ essay is an exercise in pre-President Trump analysis. The Democrats don’t have a clear message other than resistance, McManus complains, as though jawboning about five-point plans didn’t lose them Congress and the White House. (“Democrats are now the party of ‘no.’ Is that enough to win back the country?” Opinion, Feb. 5)

We’re divided as a nation on that most basic question: What kind of nation are we going to be?

One one side, you’ve got Republicans. Trump, their leader, has openly called for torture and praises a butcher like Russian President Vladimir Putin. On the other side, you’ve got Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and others whose overarching message is that people should be treated with dignity.

The only response to the result of the 2016 election is to fight tooth and nail to stop Republicans in their tracks. In other words, resist.

Branden Frankel, Encino

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To the editor: The parental precept of “pick your battles” seems an appropriate guide for the Democratic resistance, as the current occupant of the White House is someone with the impulse control of a child. They should not give in to the understandable wish to follow the Republicans as the “party of no.”

Judge Neil Gorsuch is a reasonable choice and he should be confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Democrats should save their energies and their political capital to oppose clearly unqualified nominees in the mold of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.

Elizabeth Rumelt, Santa Barbara

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To the editor: McManus’ piece adds salt to the Democrats’ wound of denying Trump’s election with subterfuges. The worst is sanctuary municipalities distorting U.S. immigration laws while complaining that the federal government may not longer release federal funding to them.

The Democrats highlight their lawlessness. San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee and his supporters loudly defy Washington and promise to fight if federal money is withheld, not realizing it is the president’s constitutional duty to disburse or deny appropriated funds.

Hence, for Lee and others to defy the federal government’s request for help in enforcing immigration laws makes them obstructers of justice.

Francisco Wenceslao, Norwalk

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