Even with that startling Access Hollywood-Donald Trump tape, a Washington Post-ABC poll shows that among 84 percent of Republicans say it makes no difference to them and 45 percent of Democrats feel the same way. What's up with these so-called "values voters?"
The campaign has highlighted other voter concerns. When Warren Buffet says that he pays taxes at a lower rate than his secretary and Mr. Trump is rewarded by having to pay no taxes for bad business decisions, something is wrong with our current system.
Mr. Trump's vow to increase taxes on the rich remains just a campaign strategy. Will we ever actually see tax reform by a new president and Congress, whoever they turn out to be? Most voters say: "Probably not."
Low wages due to the shift from a manufacturing to a service-based economy is a concern for both parties. The minimum wage needs to be increased, as California has done, and corporations need to pitch involuntarily. I bet that if McDonald's raised its prices by 50 cents on hamburgers, cheeseburgers and the like sales would be minimally affected.
And if they put up signs in their stores and advertised on TV that "We care for our co-workers and have increased our prices and the entire increase will be given to our employees," their sales would actually increase.
When we changed from a agrarian society to an industrial one over the last two centuries the economy changed as well and it took some time for displaced farm workers to relocate to the great manufacturing centers and learn new skills.
We need our politicians to talk more, and in detail, about the loss of manufacturing jobs, the need to acquire other skills and to take positive steps to assist people in acquiring these skills.
The rise of Donald Trump, a man with a dubious business background and a dearth of morals is troubling in several ways. The politicians that hewed to the GOP party line in spite of the horrendous bad publicity Mr. Trump received proved that they put self above country.
The particularly grievous attack against Sen. John McCain, when Trump said soldiers that are captured are not real heroes, was disgraceful but you didn't hear much back talk from his fellow Republicans — in fact, Mr. McCain still hewed the party line himself until recently.
It was disheartening to see these members of Congress defending Mr. Trump's outlandish behavior right up until that video was released. And many still do even now.
It is also a reflection on the 16 other presidential candidates and their campaign managers who didn't take the trouble to vet their opponents and possibly uncover Mr. Trump's troubled background so it could be exposed during the debates. How would this have changed the picture today?
Sure we need better wages. Sure we need to provide better education and training to teach the new skills required today. Sure we need an overhaul of the tax code so everyone pays their fair share. And sure, we need measures to improve our environment.
These are all things that can be done if we elect the right leaders at all levels of government and demand real solutions to these problems rather than just saying "when I'm president, we'll have this-or-that" — all the while knowing that when the election is over, we'll go back to the same old same old.
Sidney M. Levy, Baltimore