To the editor: George Clooney and Michael Douglas, among others, recently expressed what many Democrats are thinking. We need a new candidate.
President Biden has been a breath of fresh air after Trump, and many adore him as a person of principle, but it is time for someone younger and more dynamic to lead the country. Most importantly, we need someone who can beat Trump, because that is what is essential.
President Biden would still be effective, but perceptions overshadow reality in presidential races and his fragility is too difficult to overcome, especially among young, minority and undecided voters.
I support changing the ticket with Kamala Harris as president and Biden as vice president/special advisor.
It's unconventional, but that's the times we live in. What's more unconventional than having a convicted felon on the other side? The Democratic ticket would benefit from Biden's wisdom and experience, but he wouldn't have to take center stage where his limitations are exposed.
As part of the same presidential team, they can draw on money already raised for the Biden-Harris campaign, and Kamala Harris certainly knows what the job entails, having been part of the presidency for three and a half years.
But this needs to happen quickly so the rest of the country can get to know her and see how capable she is.
Biden is a hero to many of us, for what he has faced personally and for how skillfully he righted the ship after COVID and Trump. Now he needs to do the most heroic thing of all: put his ego aside and transform himself into the most valuable and wise adviser a president could have.
Christine Tempesta, Carlsbad
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To the editor: On Wednesday night we watched “The Last Word With Lawrence O’Donnell” on MSNBC. Before President Biden attended the NATO conference, he stopped by and spoke to the staff at the AFL-CIO headquarters thanking them for their support. O’Donnell showed the full seven-minute talk the President gave to the office staff. The seven-minute talk that none of the other media outlets covered. The President spoke without notes, prompts, or teleprompter. It was interesting, complete, concise, and thorough. I recommend that all Democrats who think Biden should drop out of the race watch this seven-minute talk. From what I observed, I concluded that there is nothing wrong with Joe Biden, physically or mentally. Shame on George Clooney.
Jose Petrotta, Altadena
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To the editor: As Maria McNamaraI also think the New York Times made a grave mistake in publishing George Clooney's letter. Clooney's opinion of Biden carries no weight with me or 99% of the country.
He lacks the political credibility necessary to be presented as an expert on this crucial political history.
The New York Times simply abandoned its normal journalistic rigor and standards in a desperate attempt to attract a broader audience.
However, the Los Angeles Times has reported on what the Hollywood elite is thinking during this presidential campaign, but this only adds to the idea that readers actually care about what the entertainment elite thinks on a variety of political issues.
It's time for the New York Times and the LA Times to draw a better line between news and entertainment, particularly when it comes to a presidential election.
Steven Lutzer, Los Angeles
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To the editor: Did you see Biden’s razor-sharp NATO speech and the standing ovation that followed? Did it sound like the work of someone who has lost his mind? Did you see the economic numbers? More than 15 million jobs created? The world’s best economic recovery from COVID? The IRA, the infrastructure bill, the CHIPS Act?
Don’t the actual results of the Biden administration determine whether he is good at his job, much more than an awkward debate? The media frenzy and breathless speculation surrounding the debate seem wildly exaggerated and very damaging.
George Clooney spent part of an evening with Biden —How does that make him an authority on the President's physical fitness? Yes, the guy is old, but the other guy is old and crazy.
Professor Allan Lichtman, who has gotten nearly every election right for the past 40 years, says the Democratic Party is unnecessarily destroying its successful president as he heads toward a second term. He says polls and debates are not what determine election results, but factors such as party unity, economic conditions, the fact that there is no contested election race, etc.
I agree with Lichtman. Trump's party will rally around a criminal, con man, and traitor out of lust for power, but cowardly Democrats (and the media) abandon a hugely successful presidency after a bad debate. What's the problem here? Do we think the president is going to start lying and making crazy decisions because he's losing his rhythm?
We know who lies and makes crazy decisions: the other one. He does it every day.
James Combs, Los Angeles
