Letters to the Editor: The Times’ freak-out over Larry Elder proves the left is afraid he’ll win

To the editor: “Incendiary,” “extremist,” “unfit” and “despot/crackpot in the making” are some of the ways you describe Republican gubernatorial candidate Larry Elder in an editorial.

According to Gallup, last year about 34% of Americans self-identified as conservative, 26% as liberal and 36% as moderate. What do the Americans who make up about a third of the population believe in?

Individual freedom. Limited government. The rule of law. Peace through strength. Fiscal responsibility. Free markets. Strong borders. Human dignity and the sanctity of life. American exceptionalism. Gun rights. The death penalty. Lower taxes.

They are proud to be American. They respect the flag and our national anthem. They feel blessed to have been born here.

These are all conservative beliefs. Some mainstream conservatives may not subscribe to all of them, and some might add to the list. I have never tested Elder’s beliefs against this list, but I would be shocked if he was anything other than a mainstream conservative.

George A. Vandeman, Playa del Rey

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To the editor: If Elder is a white supremacist, then my uneducated, non-English speaking immigrant parents from Mexico are also white supremacists. They taught their children the same color-blind values that Elder has advocated for decades. (“Larry Elder is the Black face of white supremacy. You’ve been warned,” column, Aug. 20)

Elder inspires with the same values that my parents taught us, specifically that no one is a victim because of their ethnicity or religion, and we should not make excuses for problems that can be solved with hard work, determination and education.

What columnist Erika D. Smith deems smug in his views and answers, many of us perceive as confidence in a well thought-out ideology and secure moral values. What she castigates as an angry response, we see as well-placed anger at those who ignore the value of families, low taxes, reduced regulations, lower taxes, dignified solutions for homeless people, better wildfire prevention measures, effective crime prevention and so much more.

Juana Maria Velazquez, San Pedro

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To the editor: Smith’s column on Elder indicated an inability to tolerate the ideas of a conservative Black person.

She does not refute Elder’s position on crime in the Black community. She also does not address Elder’s contention that the high rate of absence by fathers is a cause of many problems in the Black community. Publishing an article like this does not help improve race relations in this country.

Smith should welcome Black conservative ideas as an indicator of ideological diversity. Rather, she appears to insist that Black politicians are acceptable only if they agree with her. That is intolerance, plain and simple.

Kathleen Lambeth, San Miguel, Calif.

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To the editor: It is so easy to see why Elder will be elected the next governor of California. No polls are needed. All you have to do is open The Times every day and see yet another hit piece on the “sage from South Central.” You are trying desperately to rescue our failed governor.

One such hit piece, by columnist Jean Guerrero, calls his views “dangerous” and the prospect of a Larry Elder administration “catastrophic.” She fearfully asserts that Elder opposes sanctuary cities, meaning he would require local governments to assist Washington in enforcing immigration law.

She further asserts that Elder is against in-state tuition at public colleges, healthcare and other benefits for immigrants in the country illegally, meaning that Elder would turn off the free money magnet for the “undocumented.”

John R. Fuchs, Pacific Palisades