Hillary Clinton and the pundits are planning for a conventional war while Donald Trump is in the nuclear age. Clinton is delivering her force by tanks. Trump is releasing space-based missiles. The smug pundits keep talking about the "pivot" and "no political campaign experience" as if those age-old concepts matter today. They are whistling past the graveyard filled with 16 Republican contenders.

Let's look at reality. Cable and even broadcast TV are giving Trump billions in free airtime, holding their cameras on an empty podium for 15 minutes awaiting His Royal Racist, who then raises high the roof beams for another 30 minutes. Of course, broadcasters are hoping to catch a car accident live on TV. The head of CBS even said Trump gives a tremendous boost to their bottom line. But Trump is going along merrily, living by the adage "I don't care what they say about me, as long as they spell my name correctly." (Attributed to many, but I like the P.T. Barnum attribution.) And, because he actually does erupt at negative comments, he garners even more attention.

It'll take just one tragic event (be it ISIL or the Taliban or Hamas or Hezbollah, or the NRA, or or or) and an avalanche could bury Clinton while hoisting Trump to Pennsylvania Avenue.

Richard Breitman, Minneapolis

• • •

Much of what I have to say about Trump has been said before, by people with more influence and experience in the world of politics than I. I am just your "average American," as the politicians like to call the rest of us, watching a man running for the highest office in the land with a mix of train-wreck curiosity, horror, outrage and some sadness.

As a public-figure-cum-entertainer, Trump can't not be viewed on a daily basis with morbid fascination to see what, pray tell, will come out of his mouth. The horror, outrage and sadness follow when one considers how insensitive and nonsensical it can be, coupled with the fact that so many still follow him and dare to encourage his lunacy. While he may be scoring emotional points with those who consider themselves downtrodden, disenfranchised and demoralized, it doesn't take too many steps back to see he is merely stirring the pot at the bottom of the barrel.

When it comes to guiding the massive apparatus of American government, healing a fractured nation and leading the world through the challenges of the 21st century, emotional appeals to our inner demons are not going take us where we want to go. Trump has no serious message, no serious plan and no serious direction. He is not a man who can be taken seriously.

This is not a stump for Clinton or any other candidate for the presidency. But know that there are alternatives to voting for a person who thinks nothing of the people he claims to speak for, whose only ambition is for the inflation of his own vanity and who could no better run this country than he has run his own campaign, full of self-aggrandizement, self-delusion and self-pity. We are not merely voting for a candidate for president, we are voting for ourselves, our nation, our rights, our future. Trump could care less about any of those. It is time that we, the electorate, shut down this clown show, look at ourselves as a nation and take it where we want it to go. Hopefully, not down the toilet.

Robert Workman, St. Louis Park

• • •

On Monday, Trump said that as president he would "admit into this country only those who share our values and respect our people." Exactly whose values was he referring to? If he was using his own perverted value system, can we assume he would welcome those who subscribe to prosperity theology, conspiracy theories, unlimited lawsuits, bankruptcies and failed marriages? Perhaps those who disregard facts, disdain science, embrace ignorance, and admire bullies and thugs?

Shall we only allow immigration to those who model his concept of respect as he demonstrates with his ongoing denigration of women, minorities, Muslims, Gold Star families, the handicapped, political foes or anyone else who slightly scratches his oh-so-thin skin?

Donald Trump's vision of America is a country of screaming, nasty, bigoted, WASP-y, able-bodied, white men. I'll pass.

Susan Barrett, South St. Paul

• • •

It may be an intended or unintended subtle notion that the "Where they stand on the key issues" article Aug. 14 shows Trump looking backward and Clinton looking forward. After further review, the article offers other unintentional metaphors regarding the two candidates:

• Trump is listening to the people; Clinton is talking to the people.

• Trump is leaning in and open; Clinton is pulling back and closed.

• Trump is gathering; Clinton is pushing away.

• Trump has genuine expression; Clinton, maybe not so much.

In this spectrum, take another look at the candidates' remarks and contrast what is cliché vs. content/pandering vs. passion. Is there full disclosure or empty jargon? Who would do better by students of all ages, families, American companies and American jobs? What would each candidate really do toward the constant challenge of making America great?

Bob Steffel, Minnetonka
POLICING AND RACE

Be selective in picking examples to epitomize the problem

I have no doubt that black lives matter, but black facts matter, too. The violence in Milwaukee is a perfect example of behavior that refused to wait to learn of any of the facts of the actual shooting of an armed black man by a black police officer. The same is true of my understanding of the facts in the Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and Jamar Clark situations. I wonder why Black Lives Matter continues to evoke their names as an example of police officers being racist and wantonly killing unarmed blacks.

How may people recognize the name of Walter Scott, shot in the back while running away in South Carolina? Or Laquan McDonald and the Chicago coverup? Then there is Charles Kinsey, shot while lying on his back in the street with his arms raised?

Do these facts really matter? They do to most whites and many blacks.

Wayne Mostek, Roseville

• • •

The Milwaukee riots offer some telling lessons: Contrary to immediate public reaction, the shooting and killing of an armed black man by a black police officer appears to have been entirely warranted. In a sane world, citizens would have withheld judgment until the facts were known. But that horse has long since left the barn. We now contend with a cultural narrative — there is an epidemic of white police officers killing innocent blacks — that is utterly false. For readers who dispute the statement, consult the U.S. Department of Justice's crime data. Milwaukee's crime rate soared 70 percent from 2014 to 2015. The vast majority of those crimes are committed by blacks against black citizens, most of whom are simply trying to walk home from the neighborhood grocery store without being harmed. The obvious answer to the huge increase in crime is to saturate poor neighborhoods with more police who are willing to see criminal activity and act on it. Visit a neighborhood on our North Side. Ask residents whether they view police as oppressors or the thin blue line preventing anarchy. The answer is obvious.

Mark H. Reed, Plymouth
CRIME SCENES

Think of stress first responders face, be grateful for their work

I am profoundly saddened by the bludgeoning death of a 4-month-old child in our neighborhood ("Murder charges: Infant punched 22 times," Aug. 17). For the family, it is beyond belief. But I often think of the "first responders" who arrive on such scenes. They have to deal with human tragedy over and over again. Seldom is it a beaten baby, but they often come upon murder victims, burn victims, or traffic victims and more. And they have to inform the next of kin. These sights must tear at their hearts and minds. Talk about PTSD! For some first responders like police men and women, they handle these jobs while being on guard against further violence that could affect even them.

As a society, we must hold these courageous public servants in highest regard. They deserve it.

John R. Priest, Minneapolis