Biden re-election plans

Regarding “Opinion: What Biden 2024 has that Biden 2020 didn’t,” (Feb. 21): Ezra Klein cleverly crafts an opinion piece extolling Biden’s perseverance in governance and interest in domestic as well as international policy that has served the country well. However, he avoids stating the very obvious: Neither Biden nor the Democrats have in place a centered, young successor competent and capable enough to replace him. For Democrats to win in 2024, Kamala Harris needs to gracefully step down now, and Biden must select a vice president who will restore confidence in a competent successor , should anything happen to him.

There are very competent candidates who could quickly demonstrate a more united political position satisfying the political center (left and right) — people such as Gretchen Whitmer, Maggie Hassan, Kathy Hochul, Val Demings or even Stacey Abrams — as long as Biden can guide them to accept that the country

desperately needs to move to the center.

Or he could go across the aisle for popular, centered republicans such as John Kasich or Larry Hogan — possibly with everyone committing to only one term for this unique ticket. This would certainly bring gravitas and show a sincere attempt to unite the country and minimize the extremes.

Harris has not built the confidence necessary to be Biden’s successor and she must certainly realize this. If she remains then Biden is sure to lose.

Secondly, the U.S. and E.U. must defeat Putin in 2023 and help Ukraine win the war. For this to happen in 2023, Biden needs to immediately provide more air support, ammunition and fighter jets to Ukraine, since he prematurely ruled out troops on the ground. This is long overdue.

Presidents are remembered for how they handle crises. These are the two defining moments of our time. Michael Balahutrak, Houston