A modern-day Harry Truman
Re “Happy birthday, Mr. President. Will you run?” Opinion, Nov. 11
Jackie Calmes’ description of our 46th president brings to mind another plainspoken man whose actions and talents far exceeded his rhetoric. That was our 33rd president, Harry Truman.
Like President Biden, Truman was criticized for
lacking the charisma of his predecessors, but he fought a do-nothing Congress and made the major decisions that put America on the road to becoming a superpower and the world’s strongest democracy.
Biden’s task is no less essential than Truman’s. Working with the slimmest majorities in Congress and under constant attack by the far right, he was able to pass legislation to prevent a COVID recession and enact the biggest infrastructure bill in a generation.
There is more to be done on voting rights, gun control, the Supreme Court and ending the Senate filibuster. If Biden is there or not to proceed on these issues, he should be credited for putting us on the right path. Like Truman, Biden’s legacy will not be fully appreciated until historians get to it in the future.
Michael Telerant
Los Angeles
:: I disagree completely with Calmes. Not only should Biden decline to run for reelection, but everyone in Congress or seeking to run for president of a similar age should also retire.
We as a democracy need young blood in Congress — people with new and innovative ideas, people in touch with the younger generation, people who can reach across the aisle and make agreements that are good for the country.
There is too much bad blood and super-inflated egos in national leadership. The status quo needs a complete overhaul so we can save democracy and the planet.
Vicki Rupasinghe Ojai
:: My own age and politics nestle between those of Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). Hence, I claim experience in the matter of octogenarian competence and mental durability.
For those who endure the vicissitudes of aging and have long made major critical judgments and decisions, the loss of physical energy has likely greater significance than slowing mental processes. The latter might conceivably sharpen.
Biden’s decision about running will be a rational one and will account for his health then and the nation’s best interests.
Now, can we please return to the belly-gazing as to whether Gov. Gavin Newsom will run for president in 2024?
Spencer Le Gate Sacramento