In more than 5,300 comments on the editorial, some readers did have reservations. And many did not. Here’s what they had to say. (Comments are edited for brevity, clarity and style.)
Michael A. Evans: Age is a poor measure of ability in so many areas! I am 81 this year, and, except for using a cane to walk, I have certainly not lost my ability to read, reason, understand, calculate, remember or love. In most civilizations, age is highly respected for wisdom, clear-sighted understanding and a gentle hand prone to spoil rather than punish those younger. This constant sniping by the press every week must come to a halt. President Biden is both able and admirable as he struggles against the Trump-crazed rioters of Jan. 6, 2021, and the constant lies so viciously spread by former president Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and their cult of death and intolerance. Awaken from your depression and lend a hand to the good fight!
Walt145: If Biden were found to have deficits in cognitive function using standardized tests, I would think that he would bow out, thereby allowing younger, more dynamic Democrats to run using his same platform.
That platform is crucial at this time as we are seeing the horrific effects from human-made climate change increasingly devastate the United States, more and more Americans killed weekly by assault-rifle-related mass killers, and the right of pregnant women to decide the outcome of their pregnancy totally stolen away by Republican government overreach despite the majority of Americans supporting legalized abortion that had been sanctioned by Roe v Wade. It doesn’t matter who Republicans nominate; their positions are untenable at this time and must be overturned at all costs.
Worried Again 2: It’s not about Biden’s age per se. It’s about denying younger people the opportunity to be a part of government.
Amellon: A lot of voters justifiably desire a younger person in charge of world and national affairs, but it’s not on the older candidate to step away. It’s on younger candidates to convince voters they are the better choice. We’re quite obviously never going to vote for a perfect human to be a politician, but we can choose for one not hellbent on burning down our entire system of government to install himself or herself as absolute ruler. I’d vote for Biden at 130 if it meant keeping any autocrat wannabe out of power.
jonasher: It’s not too late, Mr. President. Help guide the Democratic Party in finding another candidate, someone younger, with more apparent vigor. Yes, you remain a very positive influence on the country, but the reality is that far too many believe you are too old and might vote accordingly. Please don’t let your ego rule your decision-making on this critical matter. The nation can ill afford another Trump administration, and DeSantis, if elected, would turn the democracy/freedom clock back to about 1880 — and if you think that’s an exaggeration, just look what [DeSantis has] pushed through in Florida. When middle-of-the-road, don’t-rock-the-boat Disney starts fighting back against DeSantis’s aggressiveness and overreach, you know there’s a serious problem. Just imagine him in Washington. Please, Mr. Biden, don’t risk that happening.
Lois Jepsen Lane: I’m in my early 80s and have been impressed with Biden’s knowledge, wisdom and energy level. His travel schedule has been amazing. Biden has always had problems speaking. In addition to his stutter, which he compensates for, he has always had trouble simplifying answers to interview questions because he understands the complexity of issues and has too much information. He obviously knows how to make government work to solve problems.
Comparing Biden with the former president who sat around watching Fox News and came up with ideas such as bombing Mexico is like comparing Albert Einstein to Alfred E. Neuman.
Democrat in Indiana: John F. Kennedy was one of our youngest presidents — and also had major medical issues while in office, although the press did not cover that in those days. The truth is that anyone of any age can develop health problems.
BrianPC31: Quite simply, here’s how to think about Biden’s age: He’s neither Trump nor DeSantis. ’Nuff said.
Quags: Electing someone who is less bad for the country is not the same thing as electing someone who is good for the country.
Terzana: I will not vote for Biden or Trump. Period.
Mirtis: Here’s hoping for a new slate. I wrote myself in last time. If I get the same two terrible options, I will again.
Steven66: Vote for experience and maturity.
dysonmega2: This nonagenarian is all the way with Joe Biden. He can elevate Vice President Harris when and as necessary.
dguy3: I do not think about Biden’s age. But I do respect his experience and wonder about his wisdom. Age and wisdom go together, and he has been around long enough to know about our government and how it should work.
Master of Reality: Biden’s age is a testimony to his courage, fighting spirit and disdain for democracy-hating Trump. Frankly, Biden running in [2020] and now is one of the bravest, most selfless things I’ve ever seen in politics. I love the guy.
rcv_0124 (to Master of Reality): There is nothing “selfless” about holding public office well into your 80s and refusing to leave until carried out feet first. There are better choices for the Democratic nomination in 2024.
Big W: This piece leaves out an elephant in the room: Sen. Joe Manchin III’s (D-W.Va.) dabbling with a “no labels” third-party run for the presidency, particularly if he sees himself being voted out of office in West Virginia. If he were to run, he wouldn’t win, but he could take just enough votes away from Biden to throw the country into a GOP Christian fascist authoritarian dictatorship. Let’s hope this doesn’t happen! It will destroy our country.
rater: It is not just age. A complete lost opportunity to talk about the problem of age, gender and race. A trifecta that has left some us unwilling to vote for Biden again.
CSM1952: In this age of celebrity worship, we forget that competent leaders surround themselves with capable people who are excellent at carrying out the obligations of their respective positions. Biden does not do all the work himself. A good leader is the tone-setter for expectations. There is also something to be said for experience. As a 71-year-old father of four and grandfather of six, I know my offspring are smarter than I am, but I’ve been around the sun a few more times. Experience allows one to more calmly react to life’s ups and downs.
Ocelot50: The unstated subtext of this editorial is that we Democrats have no one of sufficient stature and competence who can be seen as an easy and broadly acceptable substitute for Biden. Not even when the likely opposing candidate is Trump, who most right-thinking Americans are sick of. So where is the [Franklin] Roosevelt to replace Biden’s Al Smith?
PeggyB1: You can’t tell by a number how old someone is. Biden is younger, mentally and intellectually, than Ronald Reagan was and certainly seems younger than Trump. I have been around senile elders, and they are nothing like our president, who can travel around the world carrying out his official duties and speak cogently about any matter pertaining to his office, albeit with a stutter that he has had to deal with all his life. A stutter is a speech impediment, not an intellectual handicap.
Zepatriot: Lot of nuances in this editorial to deal with the elephant in the room: not just Biden’s age but his visible frailty. His unpopular vice president waiting in the wings if something were to happen to him is another big negative. Lord help our country if Biden and Trump are the only two we have to choose from. A lot of people may just stay home for this one.
LHS2: Impairment aside, though, the real age issue is that there’s a significant actuarial risk that by reelecting Biden we would actually be electing Kamala D. Harris, who’s proved herself to be uniquely unqualified and unacceptable to a majority consisting of voters from both parties. Is being forced to choose again between Biden and Trump and getting stuck with Harris really the best this country can do?
TrueKansan: I’m so tired of the ageism. Biden has run circles around the Republicans and has proved himself to be a wily and highly competent president/politician. He, and he alone, has had the eight-year experience of being part of an administration that at times got bogged down in seeking bipartisanship. He is the perfect foil for Trump. Even if the worst happens during his second term, it’s worth the risk. As for Harris, I think she would be able to step in. I’m not so sure she would get elected for her own term afterward, but that’s what a primary would sort out. I think it would be politically damaging to ditch her.
macmac1: Nobody had any great expectations for Harry S. Truman, who is now remembered as one of the great American presidents. “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.”
Metling: Age ain’t nothin’ but a number.
