We all have the right to make predictions, obviously, and we’re certainly entitled to be wrong on occasion. I’ve been wrong far too many times to keep track, but I think how we respond to being wrong is more important than how often we are right.

Columnist Rich Elfers predicted that the Democrats would gain both House and Senate seats in last month’s mid-term elections, which proved to be absolutely wrong (“A midterm election prediction”, published March 30) . The Democrats actually lost 9 seats in the House of Representatives.

But rather than admit he was wrong, he doubles down on his contempt for Republicans, calling them “autocratic and arrogant,” and writes that “Democrats fared much better than expected” (“Midterm take-aways: Gen Z and the arms-race of ideas”, published Nov. 30). Well they certainly didn’t fare much better than Mr. Elfers expected.

I’m not surprised by his seemingly unlimited disdain for the Republican party, but I would expect a little more intellectual honesty.

Matthew Jay McCully

Enumclaw