This is a response to Rob Douglas’ letter to the editor in the Aug. 11 Steamboat Today. I am a conservative who usually votes Republican. I agree with Rob in that Donald Trump would be a terrible GOP candidate for president. That said, for the Republican Party to exclude him from the field of candidates would be doing what liberal Democrats have been doing for years.

They tell those they disagree with to “shut up and sit down.” I take issue with a lot of Trump’s statements, and similar to Rob, I don’t support him. I think it’s up to the individual voter and not the national Republican leadership to decide how far Trump’s campaign goes.

Once the real issues are discussed and real solutions put forth by the other GOP contenders, “the Donald” will fade away.

Hello America. Wake up. The large field of GOP candidates offers much more diversity and broad range of ideas than the three lock-step liberals and one socialist the Democrats are offering.

It’s a cold, hard fact that politics is a very tough game, and there will never be the “perfect candidate.” If you don’t vote one way or the other, you become part of the problem, not the solution.

Gary Kalow

Steamboat Springs