Biden still far more suited to be president than Trump
Re “At news conference, Biden insists on staying in the race, as San Diego congressman calls for him to quit” (July 12): As an 86-year-old physician who continues to provide unique contributions to medicine without compensation or reward, I fully understand why President Biden chooses to remain a candidate for the next presidential election. He continues because he knows that his 30 years of experience and acquired wisdom make him the best person alive to carry on his impressive accomplishments of the past three and a half years. While he showed his age adversely during a debate with a narcissistic sociopathic opponent, he remains uniquely qualified to carry on and extend the domestic and international accomplishments from which we have benefited as a nation. His ability to guide legislation and skill in communicating with the leaders of Europe and Asia has made the United States the most economically successful of nations and the recognized leader of the free world.
— Miles Weinberger, Encinitas
The problem with Biden isn’t his age, it’s his decline
Coverage about President Biden’s “age” is misfocused. Presidential candidates should undergo objective cognitive evaluation. Threatening heart condition? We want to know! Same for cognitive decline.
I’m an Alzheimer’s caregiver, retired surgeon and simulation researcher. Truth: Dementia is scary, and some don’t recognize their problem (anosognosia). It’s not denial, psychological or a reason for shame. It’s a condition.
If a “senior” is unsafe to drive, we should stop them. I did that with my wife, at 60. Are expectations different for unsafe teenagers? A pilot who can’t land should undergo immediate simulator testing. Surgeons with disabling eye disorders should do something else. We understand, intuitively, that the issue is performance, not “age.”
The president has a more consequential position than drivers, pilots and surgeons. One “really bad performance” can literally change the world. Let’s focus less on age and more on function. Open, objective assessment is the key to good decision-making.
— Robert Pedowitz, Encinitas
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