Well, Election Day is fast approaching. As I stare out my living room window and sigh at all the leaves I have yet to rake, I sigh even more after reading the letters and My Turns from Democrats on this editorial page. Advil helps.

One writer says Kamala Harris is “showing us what it’s like to bring joy and laughter into the arena” [“Joy: It’s not a political liability, it’s a superpower,” Sept. 3]. Oh puh-leeze! I’m not interested in joy and laughter; I’m interested in solid leadership. What I want is a commander-in-chief with excellent judgment, and Donald Trump has the determination and the energy to solve this country’s many problems. He’s done it before.

According to another, “There will be no abortions throughout our country” if Trump wins [“Concerns about a Trump presidency,” Sept. 5]. That is simply not true. I was reminded of what Bill Clinton said in 1992: “Our vision should be of an America where abortion is safe and legal, but rare.” I never thought I’d say this, but I miss Bubba.

Carl Doerner writes about the “looming nightmare of MAGA” and says Project 2025 is “so extreme that Trump tries to distance himself from it. Nonetheless, if elected he fully intends to follow it” [Sept. 10]. Perhaps the writer isn’t aware of this, but Trump has disavowed Project 2025 on numerous occasions. I urge the author/historian to please stop spreading misinformation.

Another recent My Turn states that Kamala “shares a great deal of the credit for so many of the Biden-Harris administration’s achievements” [“Character, experience, and accomplishments make Harris the best choice,” Sept. 11]. Achievements? You mean the border crisis, the inflation crisis, the botched withdrawal of Afghanistan that led to the deaths of 13 U.S. troops? Thanks, but I could’ve done without all that.

I was also disappointed with the Oct. 9 My Turn [“Police officer isn’t the answer for Greenfield public schools”]. In my humble opinion, there should be a police officer in every school in America to keep everyone safe. Since armed guards protect politicians and movie actors, our nation’s children deserve protection, too.

A column by Ben Clarke states he isn’t “crazy about Kamala Harris,” but he does think she would be “a safe port in the storm” [“Regarding the felon and hillbilly: Let’s at least be honest,” Oct. 12]. The writer claims he’s a Republican, but he sounds like a Democrat to me. And by the way, I’m not crazy about Kamala either.

Not surprisingly, Recorder columnist John Bos criticized Fox News’ Bret Baeir for talking over Kamala during her recent interview [“Untruth and consequences,” Oct. 19]. Mr. Baeir had to keep interrupting her because she showed up to the interview late, then tried to run out the clock with her gibberish. Mr. Bos also says, “My issue with Fox News remains that I can’t trust it.” And I can’t trust CBS, ABC, NBC, MSNBC, PBS, or CNN.

So as Election Day nears, I feel confident that Trump will be the next president of the United States. The betting markets favor him, the polls are encouraging, and the Harris-Walz ticket sure feels doomed to me. Clinton-Kaine bombed, and I think Harris-Walz will suffer a humiliating defeat, too. That would be pretty wonderful.

Well, bye for now. Time to rake those pesky leaves.

Walt Gorman lives in Turners Falls.