Letters to the Editor: Yes, we need to talk about Biden’s age. No one wants a president to die in office
To the editor: Age absolutely needs to be a consideration for the most important job in our country. (“Is Biden too old to run again? Is Feinstein too frail to stay? It’s not about age,” column, April 25)
The minimum age for president is five years more than that for a senator and 10 more than a member of the House. Why? Because maturity and good judgment are essential for this most important of jobs, and those develop (usually) as one racks up life experience. We all mature at different ages, and we all decline at different ages. But we still set age requirements for a lot of important jobs.
I was alive, and so was columnist Steve Lopez, the last time a sitting president died. Granted, it was sudden and violent, but it threw the country into confusion and chaos for a period of time. I believe the same would happen today if a sitting president suffered a heart attack.
President Biden looks and sounds fit now, but take a look at photos of Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) in 2018, when she was last reelected. My sweet spot for a new president is between 50 and 72 years old — old enough for wisdom and maturity, yet young enough to be statistically healthy.
I don’t care about a maximum age for members of Congress, but this old lady definitely wants one for president and vice president.
Diane Scholfield, Vista
..
To the editor: While I agree with Lopez that people age differently, two individuals who insisted on serving despite their advanced age have helped create the havoc we are experiencing on abortion.
One was the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, whose decision not to retire when Democrats controlled the White House and the Senate allowed then-President Trump to make his third Supreme Court appointment in 2020.
Now, Feinstein’s absence due to health problems prevent her from voting to confirm Biden’s judicial nominees.
Age may not be the biggest factor, but a stubborn insistence on staying on in the face of poor health is a selfish indulgence that has resulted in harm. Of course I will vote for Biden, but it will be with hope for his continued good health.
Michael Peretzian, Los Angeles
..
To the editor: As an age peer of Biden, I must disgree with Lopez.
About one-fifth of adults ages 85 to 89 suffer from dementia, and this is precisely the age bracket Biden will enter should he get reelected. Perhaps dementia may spare Biden, but why take the risk?
Yes, the president can still give a speech with only minor stumbling while reading from a teleprompter, but his staff have issued clarifications on statements made during his rare news conferences.
We really need to ask if we are better off now than we were a few years ago. If the answer is no, why would we want another term for Biden? By announcing his reelection campaign, Biden is sucking out the oxygen from potential candidates who may be in a better position to beat Trump and run our country.
John T. Chiu, Newport Beach
