Letter: Listen to Alexander Hamilton

“History (has taught) us … that of those men who have overturned the liberties of republics, the greatest number have begun their career by paying an obsequious court to the people … commencing demagogues, and ending tyrants.” — Alexander Hamilton, 1787.

Fortunately, our Founding Fathers studied the pitfalls that ended many former republics, and saw the possibility of someone like Donald Trump reaching the presidency of the United States. Should he be elected, by the “incompetent many” and to the everlasting shame of this country, he will, hopefully, be blocked by the checks and balances written into the Constitution, and his “you’re fired” will be a meaningless rant among the many he utters.

By now his numerous gaffes and dangerous spontaneity are well known, and one would think voters would reject him out of hand. But elections are decided by emotions, not facts, and, after both candidates have been declared pathological liars by their opposition, after all the news reports have been taken to mean whatever the recipient wants them to mean, after all the rationalizations are in, what really matters is that Trump is a ranting political neophyte, a demagogue, who just might, in one of his piques, sling a nuclear weapon in one direction or another while Hillary Clinton, in spite of repeated unsuccessful Republican attempts to discredit her, is a seasoned politician and diplomat with a solid foundation in foreign affairs. She is also one tough lady.

Let us hope that come November voters will heed Hamilton’s warning.

This story was originally published October 12, 2016 at 3:52 PM with the headline "Letter: Listen to Alexander Hamilton."