Racism and sexism are stimulated in contests between two persons of different races or between two persons of different sexes, as in the 2024 presidential election contest between a woman of color and a white man.
People will be tempted to vote for the person most like them. Men will be tempted to vote for the man, and women for the woman. White people will be tempted to vote for the white candidate, and persons of color will be tempted to vote for the person of color. That is natural, but it is unfortunate.
The race or the sex of the candidate should not matter. Voters should base their decisions not on “who looks like them,” but rather on issues such as policy, experience, education, intelligence, and moral character.
Daniel Haulman, Montgomery
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Letter: Look past looks and base vote on who is the best candidate