Being presidential is more than posturing. We hope that our president will carefully gather the facts and weigh the consequences before taking action. We hope that the president will make an honest effort to represent the diverse interests of the people. But we are aware that personal and political interests influence all of us. Nonetheless, we expect an honest effort to represent the nation. The recent debate gave me a renewed sense of anxiety. I admit that the performance of Mr. Trump was nothing new. Not for the first time, we saw the rejection of contrary ideas by ignoring or rejecting evidence, the need to gratuitously denigrate those who oppose him or his ideas, the resort to fantasy and myth, the casual acceptance of data without even minimal investigation and the habit of accusing those who present contrary data of fraud.

What does this tell us about the decision-making process of such a person who gains the power of the presidency some of which has recently been placed beyond the reach of criminal law? Apart from the embarrassment of having a leader who feels the need to belittle others purely for entertainment, what kind of leadership results from acting on impulse and fantasy rather than careful consideration of data and alternatives? It is not a stretch to say there is danger in having such a person in a position of power even if you agree with some of that person’s ideas.

Richard Hesse

Hopkinton