Letters to the Editor: Joe Biden is not ‘exciting’? What ageist, tone-deaf claptrap

To the editor: Nicholas Goldberg is not excited by Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.

Given the way he writes about the Democratic convention, he was probably not excited by Jill Biden; the fired-up and eloquent nurse and activist Cozzie Watkins of North Carolina; the courageous and not-young Judy and Dennis Shepard, parents of murdered Matthew Shepard; or the voices of indigenous activists Chuck Degnan, Derrick Lente, Cesar Alvarez and Kellen Returns From Scout.

When real people of all ages — disabled activists, train conductors, farmers, students, rising leaders, former presidents and secretaries of State and war heroes — are not “exciting,” it means that ageist entertainments and the cult of celebrity that brought us President Trump have won.

Social media influence and slick selfies should not matter more than selfless public service and putting forth a powerful agenda for change.

Jo Perry, Studio City

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To the editor: Goldberg gave me the impression that he was leaving no stone unturned, finding every reason to support a presidential candidate whose only advantage in the race is that his name is not Donald Trump.

Admittedly, the incumbent is one of the most reviled leaders in U.S. history. Still, Trump is not as bad as his ardent detractors depict him. But due to the hyper-partisan political atmosphere of an election year, anything positive has unfortunately become lost.

If the campaign platform for a candidate is that he is not the other unpopular one, then there is no choice. We are better off not changing horses at midstream.

Henry Tse, Rosemead

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To the editor: I was telling my friend that Biden is not that exciting when she responded, “I don’t care, I will vote for a potato to get Trump out of office.”

I think that sums up how a lot of us feel.

Trump has brought this country to its knees and he needs to go. Biden is a decent human being who has served our country for many years. Compared to what we have now, that’s huge.

Linda Mele Johnson, Long Beach

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To the editor: Those who are choosing not to vote for Biden because he’s not their first choice need to realize that Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg probably cannot wait another four years.

We have two new conservative Supreme Court judges because people allowed the perfect to be the enemy of the good in 2016.

Susan Hanley, Simi Valley