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Patricia Lopez has reeled off the usual hackneyed talking points in defense of the president's dismal debate performance last Thursday (“Joe Biden's replacement is an illusion Democrats must abandon,” StarTribune.com, July 2). For readers who didn't watch the debate, the points may hold some weight.
But for those of us who did watch, what we saw was not, as Lopez absurdly suggests, a president plagued by a stutter or a lack of “skillful” debating skills, but a man who holds the most powerful and demanding job in the world, and who we hope will remain in office until 2029, unable to complete simple sentences or maintain a basic train of thought. It was a startling sight. And a sad one.
Here's a simple suggestion: If the president is truly clearer than he showed on Thursday night, let him prove it by doing it again. The White House should schedule a two-hour press conference and let a supposedly competent Joe Biden answer straightforward questions from the press. That's not too much to ask of a commander in chief, especially one who's been in politics for more than 50 years.
If the president does well, he deserves praise and the point is made. If he doesn't, there's no debate that his decline is real. Don't voters have a right to know which is which?
But if the president's supporters don't buy into that simple idea and continue to insist that he continue hiding behind a teleprompter, it tells us what they really think about Biden's cognitive position — and it says a lot about their claims to care about good government and American democracy.
Andy Brehm, St. Paul
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Calls for Biden to drop out of the presidential race are childish and shallow. We need to focus on the substance of the debate, not just its performance. A transcript of the words spoken that night would make that much clearer. It would show who was really stuttering, repeating words, and talking nonsense, and who was actually answering questions and getting the facts right.
When we choose a president, we don't just choose one man. We choose an entire administration and a political philosophy that will impact every function of our government and, in turn, the lives of every American. We are still living with the consequences of four years of President Trump. And just when we thought we had seen enough, the Supreme Court has effectively elevated one man above the law and the fundamental principles on which this nation was founded: that American leadership is not of one man, but of the people, by the people, and for the people.
Voting for substance over grandiosity, for a commitment to democracy for all over the protection of a few who seek unlimited power, for leadership with integrity and intelligence over lies and ego will determine what or if we celebrate our next Independence Day. We, the people, need to move beyond the debate over gray hair and look to the longer term. The choice couldn't be starker.
Mary McGarry Woitt, Eden Prairie
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This is a response to two commentaries, “Why I'm Going to Vote for Joe Biden Again” by Ken Tobachman and “Biden's Concerns Aren't Just About the Election” by Ross Douthat (Opinion Exchange, July 2). Tobachman's commentary philosophized about what Biden was like as a person, but made no rational argument about whether he would maintain that stance in another term. His main theme was “we old people have to stick together.” It was a poor argument. Douthat, on the other hand, made an unusually persuasive argument for why neither Biden nor Trump should be president. Trump has completely lost his filter. He's a walking, talking manure spreader who rambles from the absurd to the insane. Despite his apologists, there is no guarantee that he will perform better or not worse as president. Trump is literally a journey into the unknown.
Biden, on the other hand, is not. His performance in the recent debate was his best yet, and no one gets better with age. Biden's apologists blame his poor performance on everything from a cold to being past his bedtime. My father was still pretty sharp at 81, but like Biden, he was deteriorating mentally and losing his filter. By the time my father was 85, he was so weak that I had to put him in a nursing home. What my father, Biden, and Trump have in common is their denial that there's anything wrong with them. This fall's presidential election will be a choice between the outrageous and the ridiculous. It's a fun time for those interested in eschatology, but not for those who aren't.
Thomas Jessberg, East Bethel
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We've heard a lot about Biden's debate performance. Let's focus a little on Trump's. He used the “Gish gallop,” a technique Heather Cox Richardson calls overwhelming your debate opponent with a barrage of lies and nonsense. In the debate format, there is no way for your opponent to respond to this without appearing bewildered and confused. WC Fields has said, “If you can't brilliantly wow your opponent, [B.S.]!”
This is where the media should pay attention!
Kay McCarthy, Bloomington
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Regarding “Joe Biden's replacement is an illusion that Democrats must abandon”: If Trump wants to return to the White House, keeping Biden as the Democratic candidate will almost guarantee it. His debate was not due to a raspy cold or simply a bad night. Debates, unlike reading from a teleprompter or speaking at a rally, require higher cognitive skills. As a Republican who supports Biden, I was embarrassed to say the least. It is no wonder that Biden refused to give interviews to major newspapers or to many press conferences. No major company would want to hire a CEO with such poor performance. It is time for the Democrats to face reality before getting kicked out of the “illusion”.
Ron Bagnall, Lakeville
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Rep. Dean Phillips was right. Last week's debate proved what most people suspected, but Phillips was the only one who had the guts to actually stand up and politely point out that the emperor is too old. I think the debate was a blessing. Now we have a chance to start over. A chance to nominate a younger, more vibrant voice (I like Governors Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan). The fact that Biden is better than the worst human beings in America is not enough reason to stick with him, especially considering that he will likely lose. The public is clamoring for an alternative to Biden/Trump reelection. Now, either side has a chance to offer a new alternative. I pray we are wise enough to seize it.
Ryan Pulkrabek, Minneapolis
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Many members of the Democratic Party mocked and ridiculed Phillips for challenging Biden in the early primaries, and given her abysmal performance in the debates and the current national discussion, Phillips may deserve an apology.
Rick Brausen, Hopkins
