Biden endorsement gets mixed reviews
Readers respond to Editorial Board
I believe your quote says it all: “Beset by disease, economic suffering, a racial reckoning and natural disasters fueled by a changing climate, the nation is dangerously off course.”
The question that I would formulate from this quote and present to voters going to the polls is, who do you believe will get us back on course?
USA TODAY, thank you for presenting a concise viewpoint of the state of affairs in the United States and your recommendation to vote for civility and to reject chaos. It is refreshing to read an article that states the facts and minimizes projecting raw emotions that monopolize most of what we see and hear on the airwaves and in print.
John A. Reaves
Matthews, N.C.
I believe the USA TODAY Editorial Board erred in judgment by endorsing fomer Vice President Joe Biden for president. In the current election, Americans are required to choose between the lesser of two evils. If a choice is made based on when life begins, President Donald Trump would prevail.
Many Americans recognize unborn life as a separate form of life from the mother.
Peter Saling
Red Bank, N.J.
I don’t believe either presidential candidate is much of a choice when it comes to who can lead this country to a brighter future.
President Trump did exactly what he promised. He shook up the common political landscape in Washington D.C. As for what he did right — Iraq, Afghanistan, the Taliban and al-Qaida seem to be less prominently covered.
The economy roared at the beginning of the Trump administration. The stock market did well in 2018. This positive move of the economy and the markets is directly related to the tax philosophy and fewer government mandates supported by this president. COVID-19 stalled the economy, not this president.
Trump never professed to be a politician. That’s who we got. He’s not a person we should hold in high moral regard. Is he presidential? Absolutely not. He’s a dangerous man. He needs nothing from anyone. That’s a man to watch. He is a narcissist. He’s proud of that. I personally don’t agree with Trump’s character. Or should I say lack of character?
Former Vice President Joe Biden, on the other hand, oozes of being a career politician. Let me put myself in a position to be elected and reelected — that’s the way Biden operates. He is the eternal politician. His character centers around finding out what will get him reelected.
Is he more presidential? Perhaps. Is he more obedient to the norms of the office of the presidency? Most likely. But the country needs leaders who want what is best for the country and not what’s best for the leader.
Biden had a wonderful opportunity to lead well many times, and he didn’t stand up as much as he could have. Biden is not what America needs right now, either.
Give me a George Washington. Give me a leader who not only led but participated in the battle. When he knew his time was over, he stepped down graciously. Washington gave an eloquent farewell speech that all politicians should use as a compass.
Let’s all pray that a true leader is in this country’s future. I’m afraid it will be at least 2024 before we have the true hope of that possibility.
Marvin Woodie Jr.
Bluefield, W.V.
The Editorial Board’s endorsement of Biden is particularly meaningful, given that it is the first time in its long history that it has used its voice to promote a presidential candidate.
We are suffering a president who is unstable, incompetent, inhumane, thuggish, bigoted, incurious, unintelligent and increasingly dangerous as his mental state deteriorates. He says anything at all that he feels will benefit himself, never mind the facts. In doing so, he loses ground, yet retains the devotion of a dwindling number of loyal followers who would be incensed if a Democratic president were acting as outlandishly as their man.
May justice and decency soon return to our country, and may the ugliness and rancor that have been inflicted on us by this president be washed away. That can only happen on the day that we may proudly utter the words: President Joe Biden.
Oren Spiegler
Canonsburg, Pa.
The Editorial Board’s endorsement of Biden for president is spot on, especially about President Trump’s crisis management. Although the United States, by far, has the best medical talent in the world, under Trump’s leadership our pandemic performance ranks dead last. Trump likes to tout his business acumen, but if his crisis management performance were judged by CEO standards, he would be fired unceremoniously.
You can’t come in dead last place with the very best talent and expect to keep your job.
Michael Kenny
Atlanta