On July 3, the Globe editorial board called for President Biden to bow out of the presidential race. Biden must do this, the board wrote, “for the good of the country, his party, and his legacy. … If he leaves the race now, his party will hail him as a hero. If he stays in and loses, it will be a disaster for the country. Democrats could lose both houses of Congress, removing any check on Trump’s excesses and freeing him to appoint another right-wing justice to the most conservative Supreme Court in decades.” The editorial elicited an array of strong reactions from more than 400 readers on BostonGlobe.com. This is an edited selection of readers’ comments:
I probably disagree with the Globe’s editorials more often than not. In this case, I not only agree but do so wholeheartedly. The board lays out the issue clearly and logically. It seems that almost all those who are not themselves Trump supporters agree that defeating Trump is the only important objective. Three out of 4 voters say someone other than Biden is better positioned to do that. What more do the Democrats need to know? Do it. Do it now. (ArapahoJoe)
Thank you, Globe editorial board! Biden can no longer campaign effectively and we need a candidate who can beat Trump. A mildly successful pep rally here and there isn’t going to work, especially if Biden bombs out again in the second debate scheduled for September. Is even the most loyal Biden supporter looking forward to that? (Smozo)
I think Nikki Haley was right when she said, “The first party to retire its 80-year-old candidate is going to be the one who wins this election,” and it’s beginning to look like the Democratic Party is going to test out her theory. (E Zola)
The way Trump is remaining completely silent while the Democrats self-destruct is kind of scary. It’s like that scene in “Jurassic Park” when the velociraptor uses the door handle. (SolomonPeirce)
“You can have my position of power when you pry it from my cold, dead hands” — Ginsburg, Feinstein, Grassley, Biden, McConnell, Sanders, Pelosi, etc. (ColDax)
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Dear President Biden — I am a strong supporter and admirer of you and all that you have accomplished. I urge you to step back at this moment and see that what is fairest and best for you, your party, and our country are actually one and the same. You ran as a transitional president in order to pass the baton to a younger generation. I believe now is the time. You have the power to finish out your current term in a way that conclusively marks you in our history as one of the most consequential and respected presidents ever. You deserve that legacy but passing the baton now maximizes the chance Donald Trump will never again step foot inside the Oval Office. Thank you and God bless. (Eagle Eye)
What would the position of the editorial board be if Biden was diagnosed with cancer or had a heart attack? I think, hope, and expect that the Globe would instruct its news staff to reach out to experts for an opinion of his condition, prognosis, and ability to serve. His performance is indeed of significant enough magnitude to warrant investigation by those who are expert in the field of neurological function in aging — rather than forming and expressing opinions with no scientific basis. Millions have voted for him to be the standard-bearer of the party, yet the Globe’s editorial seems to negate the choice voters have made. (Longview35)
Millions voted for Biden or against Trump nearly four years ago. We’re in a different time and situation now. Let’s face the facts. The Democratic Party can defeat Trump again with a younger, more vigorous, and more articulate candidate. We owe President Biden our thanks but not our votes. (roudydowdy)
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Hey, remember when the Globe asked Trump to step aside when he was convicted of 34 felonies? Yeah, me neither. (av0ysix)
Where are the editorials saying that Trump should withdraw? I am 88. If I were as emotionally unstable as Trump, as incoherent, and completely ignorant of many well-known facts but making up obviously false things to replace them, my wife and family would put me into a home. (Michael Ryan)
Who is this magical candidate they want to run? In January, Biden’s State of the Union was excellent; he’s done a terrific job. The debate was not his best moment, but Donald Trump has never had a presidential moment in his life. Demand the guy with the 34 felony convictions to be removed. He is hellbent on destroying our democracy, throwing Ukraine under the bus, and using our national treasury as his personal ATM. Gun control, freedom of the press, and democracy are on the table. He is not above the law. Focus on the real problem. Biden on his worst day is light-years ahead of the orange disgrace. (CapeCodtownie)
This is starting to reach “but what about her emails?!?!” levels among the punditocracy. (PL)
Biden had a bad night in the debate with attention lapses, but Trump lied outrageously before the nation — and the Globe thinks Biden should step down? Trump is convicted of felonies and was found guilty of sexual assault and financial fraud in civil courts, and it’s Biden that should get out of the race? Trump speaks gibberish, when he isn’t lying, and threatens to exact revenge on those who did their jobs prosecuting him for his crimes, and Biden is no longer qualified? And most of all, Trump committed numerous crimes in the White House during his term, and now with an “immunity” (get out of jail free card), what crimes will he commit with impunity if he is returned to the White House? The American people have to understand that their democracy, their Republic, and their personal freedom is on the line, and those all depend on the American people voting Biden back into office. (Peristroika)
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You know, by the end of this year, Taylor Swift will be old enough to be president. Just saying. (raggedglory)
