To the Editor:
Donald Trump is beatable, but President Biden increasingly looks like the Democrat least likely to beat him. There is time for contenders to start showing up and campaigning so that the voters can see who would have the best chance to hold on to independents and reasonable Republicans, turn out the young and minority voters, and keep voters from drifting to third parties.
If Mr. Biden stays in the race and loses to Mr. Trump, everything he has accomplished will have been for naught or worse. If Mr. Biden gets out of the race and the Democrat wins, he could go down in history as the person who saved the country from Mr. Trump, Trumpism and the MAGA zealots — twice.
Eugene D. Cohen
Phoenix
To the Editor:
I have little doubt that President Biden would best Donald Trump in a head-to-head matchup. I refuse to believe that my fellow Americans would choose a wannabe dictator with 91 felony charges over a high-performing president.
What gives me great angina, however, is the impact in some swing states that third-party candidates — like Jill Stein, Cornel West, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and possibly Joe Manchin — can have.
Only small margins made the difference in these states, and it would not take much diversion of Biden voters to these candidates to make a difference. Whether it’s ego or some other misguided force, their candidacies make no sense and put our democracy at extreme risk by enhancing the chances of the election of one who would destroy it.
Richard Goetz
Delray Beach, Fla.
To the Editor:
There have been lots of comments regarding the decreasing poll numbers for President Biden. To me it appears that support for him is primarily focused on Donald Trump being a threat to democracy. While I agree regarding the threat, this singular focus only serves to give confirmation to those who already oppose Mr. Trump.
To win this election, Mr. Biden must counter some of the other aspects of Mr. Trump’s appeal. In my view, there are many people with moderate views who will vote for the candidate who they believe will: 1) have the most positive effect on their daily lives (e.g., jobs, cost of living, taxes); 2) provide security for America versus adversaries; and 3) keep Americans safe from crime.
Many people will, for example, put aside an issue such as stolen documents if they feel that a candidate will keep us prosperous and safe. Mr. Biden needs to persuade the moderate electorate that he is the better candidate on these issues as well.
Alan Rotnemer
Rockville, Md.
The Haley-DeSantis Debate: ‘A Disgraceful Display’
To the Editor:
Re “5 Takeaways on Dueling Events: Debate and Town Hall” (news article, Jan. 12):
The debate between Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley was a disgraceful display, which epitomizes so much of what is wrong with politics in America today. It was two hours of unrelenting personal attacks, insults and accusations of lying, with each one spending the bulk of their time trying to top one another in calling out the other’s mendacity.
For anyone watching or listening other than the most diligent fact checker, it was impossible to ferret out what was true and what was false, or to separate the substantive from the performative.
Worse, amid all the invective and posturing, it was impossible to discern from either candidate what they were putting forward as a positive vision for this country — the aspirations they have for us over the next four years and what they will do to help us realize them.
We can and must do better, and we can and must ask more of those who are seeking to be our leaders.
Richard Stopol
New York
To the Editor:
Re “Who Won the Debate? Haley Struggled to Outshine DeSantis, Analysts Say” (nytimes.com, Jan. 11):
Headlines that ask “Who Won the Debate?” are part of the problem with politics.
Debates are supposed to be about the exchange of ideas — to learn which candidate’s ideas and policies most match your own. Declaring a debate “won” or “lost” should be restricted to school debate teams, not political discussions.
Having a writer come up with a zinger may make for fun television, but it’s no way to run a country nor is it indicative of any ability to solve problems.
Shaun Breidbart
Pelham, N.Y.
The writer is a stand-up comedian who has on occasion written jokes for politicians.
Our Surrogacy Story Is Not ‘Despicable,’ as Pope Francis Claims
To the Editor:
Re “Pope Calls for Global Ban on Surrogacy” (news article, Jan. 9):
Pope Francis on Monday called surrogate motherhood a “despicable” practice that should be universally banned for its “commercialization” of pregnancy.”
While we recognize that surrogacy is not always a perfect arrangement, we want to share our perspective. I had cancer at age 21 and was unable to bear children. Sadly, in the 1980s when we wanted to start a family, both foreign and domestic adoptions were not so simple because of our age and my cancer history.
Surrogacy was a “new” means of creating a family, and it was legal in California, where we lived. (However, surrogacy is as old as the story of Abraham and Sarah in the Bible in Genesis 16.)
Surrogacy helped us create a very much wanted family, and we had a son and a daughter with a very loving, caring, altruistic and selfless surrogate. The agency with which we worked was staffed with professional psychologists who worked thoughtfully to avoid exploitation of women who chose to become surrogates.
Our son will be completing a general surgery residency in June, and our daughter is a fellow in pediatric intensive care medicine. The “despicable” practice of surrogacy helped to bring two very loved, kind and productive young physicians into the world.
For the pope to compare what we did to wars, terrorism and other threats to peace and humanity is extremely misguided and perplexing.
Richard A. Levine
Susan P. Helmrich
Berkeley, Calif.
End the Suffering
To the Editor:
Re “For Gaza’s Babies, War’s Effects Will Never End,” by Alice Rothchild (Opinion guest essay, Jan. 11):
The effect of the Israel-Hamas conflict on expectant mothers and on babies is horrific, as is all the death and destruction in Gaza today.
It must end immediately.
Hamas must do what Germany and Japan did in 1945: surrender — and, here, release the kidnapped Israelis it hasn’t yet murdered.
(Rabbi) Avi Shafran
New York
The writer is the director of public affairs at Agudath Israel of America.
No Sphere in London
To the Editor:
Re “MSG Scuttles Its Plans for a Sphere in London” (news article, Jan. 10):
I’m relieved for the Londoners who won’t have to live near this monstrosity. In Las Vegas the Sphere is surrounded by all the glitter and glitz already present, so, though it overshadows all that, it’s just one more exhibit of the excesses found there.
But this dome, had it been built in London, would have been utterly out of place, needed huge amounts of electricity to keep it running and inconvenienced its neighbors for miles around.
Rosemary A. Fletcher-Jones
New Milton, England