Should President Biden stay in the race? Tribune readers weigh in | Opinion

Braver Angels

Watching the presidential debate was a painful experience for me. Donald Trump’s endless hyperboles were almost laughable, but Joe Biden’s difficulty with articulation was also very concerning. The only saving grace: I was watching it at the Braver Angels convention in Kenosha, Wisconsin, surrounded by 700 friendly blue- and red-leaning delegates.

Braver Angels are dedicated to healing our country’s deep partisan divide, using respectful dialogue to discuss some of our thorniest issues like immigration, income inequality and abortion. Their goal is to find shared values and goals that both sides can support.

After the debate, I found that the one thing many of my fellow delegates agreed on is that our country deserves better than either of these two candidates. It may be too late to find better alternatives for this election. But I hope that in the future we select leaders who treat their opponents with respect, decline to engage in personal attacks and seek to find solutions that help all Americans.

Don Gaede

San Luis Obispo

Withdraw, Mr. President

President Joe Biden’s debate performance sealed his fate to exit stage left in six months. Everyone knows it, including Democratic leadership. Joe needs bow out peacefully, retire on a Delaware beach, and work with party leaders to select a competent, capable, intellectual candidate who believes in democracy and the Constitution. A candidate who is not a convicted felon, has not conned or duped millions of people or hundreds of organizations in the past, has not incited an insurrection that called for the hanging of a vice president, and is not buddies with global dictators. It needs to happen quickly. There are several choices that make sense including Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Adam Kinzinger or Liz Cheney could could also step in. As Liz mentioned months ago, the single most important task we have in this country right now is to ensure Trump can never get back into the Oval Office.

Brent Jorgensen

Pismo Beach

Stay in, Mr. President

What’s this with everyone (or all too many people, anyway) writing off President Joe Biden because of a “poor” debate performance? As I understand it, he had a cold, and that would put anyone off.

They say his “poor” performance is evidence he wouldn’t be able to do well as the next president. But he’s been doing a great job as president over these past few years. He’s not going to suddenly deteriorate because of a debate. He may be slowing down, but he’s still doing great. And he’s going to continue to do great.

Vote for Biden! And eschew the third party candidates. We can’t let this ultra-important job go to that other guy. The future of America depends of a reliable president. BIden is your man!

Rosalie Valvo

Morro Bay

Democracy in danger

The Roberts court, if democracy survives, will go down in history as the most corrupt court in history. The Supreme Court’s immunity decision has essentially stated that the president is above the law and that democracy as we know it is now in danger. Does the court’s immunity decision mean that Congress can’t impeach a president for conducting an “official” act?

Since official acts by the president are immune from prosecution, maybe President Biden’s next “official” act should be to disband the Supreme Court and appoint his own Biden court. After all, Chief Justice John Roberts and the rest of the Trump cronies have stated that the president is immune.

Bob Foster

San Luis Obispo

Thoughts on the 4th

I am a proud American patriot, unmoved by vacuous symbols and rituals, but by a virtuous ideal.

Our founding principles and historically evolved values call me to develop an identity transcending the limitations of my race, religion, class, national origin, gender and party. My obligation and opportunity as a citizen is to break free of those chains and gain membership in a multifaceted community and a more profound sense of what it means to be a human being.

Our nation is the first in the history of civilization to lay the foundation for such a transformation. We have reason to be proud of that and to be humble, recognizing that we have far to go in the realization of our vision. Our resolve to attain it is under constant challenge from those who appeal to our fears, anxieties and superficial impulses. Artful deceivers identify scapegoats for us to demonize as objects of our hostility, trying to splinter us into alienated factions. Yet we know from our history that every advance we’ve made toward that vision was gained by our solidarity and collective action. Fireworks, BBQs and parades mean nothing without working to make the vision real. E Pluribus Unum.

David Broadwater

Atascadero

Wind farm misinformation

“Offshore wind developer to map sea floor” (sanluisobispo.com, June 30)

This letter is directed to the residents of the coastal towns regarding the wind farm site assessment operations described in Stephanie Zappelli’s excellent article of June 30. I can understand your concerns about the impact of the wind farm on the character of coastal communities. These concerns can and should be negotiated in good faith with the three leaseholders.

But please do not be misled by the misinformation being propagated by opponents of the wind farm concerning the damage to marine life by the site assessments. There is simply no sound science supporting this. Please always keep in mind that the need to develop clean energy to combat climate change is real and urgent.

Ray Weymann

Atascadero