To the editor: The headline of Karen Kaplan’s article “What if Biden were tested — clinically” should read “What if Trump were tested — clinically.” The media, including the Times’ own, greatly-admired, Steve Lopez is doing a great disservice to the country by discussing this issue with an unbalanced, predatory focus on Biden’s mental fitness.
We all watched an hour and a half debate with Trump rambling on with his pathological lies and delusions. Granted, the well-intentioned and well-informed Biden had many senior moments, but he still demonstrated a keen understanding of world order and events with empathetic compassion and resolve.
The L.A. Times is featuring multiple articles about Biden’s mental acuity. Instead, the media should be demanding that Trump undergo a thorough psychiatric evaluation and publish those results along with Biden’s cognitive test.
The country and the world would be a lot better off with a well-intentioned grampa who might accidentally walk into a women’s restroom as opposed to a convicted criminal.
Steve Pellegren, Los Angeles
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To the editor: What criteria shall we adopt when testing a presidential candidate for office? There are various types of memory to consider, including immediate, intermediate and long recall. There are ways to test for judgment and intelligence . Of course all final candidates will be tested, won’t they? Both candidates for the 2024 election raise voters’ questions about their competence to hold office. Let us examine test results for both, with experts showing the way.
Michael Gross, Woodland Hills
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To the editor: My stepmother is 90 and has memory loss due to oxygen deprivation that occurred when her pacemaker failed eight years ago. She has aced the cognitive test that Trump brags about. A cognitive test is not needed to convince me that Joe Biden is eminently qualified to be president of the United States and that he can win in November with Kamala Harris as his vice president.. He demonstrates his abilities every day in performing his duties and through his relationships with voters and leaders around the world.
Deborah Mackey, Santa Clarita
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To the editor: The current turmoil over whether President Biden should drop out of the race for the presidency is made all the more tumultuous by the fact that it is happening in a political environment clouded by emotions, loyalties, competing ideologies and political ambitions. We need the clouds to part. We need clarity, now more than ever, so that Americans can make an informed decision about our leadership over the next four years.
During the pandemic, Democrats told us to “follow the science.” Well, that is what we need to do now. Both Biden and Trump should undergo cognitive testing with the results made public. The leadership of both parties should demand this. The stakes are simply too high to trust the self-assessment of two old men regarding their mental fitness to lead the free world.
Michael Harrington, Laverne
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To the editor: It is very disheartening and concerning that the American people, presumptively, are faced with a presidential contest featuring two old, impaired men. Joe Biden’s disastrous debate performance turned the whispering about if he had lost a “cognitive step” into a shout. As far as Donald Trump is concerned, view any of his political rallies or listen to him speak about anything for any length of time and one will likely question his mental lucidity and coherence.
The American people have a right to know how mentally and physically healthy a candidate is before they cast their vote. It’s time for Congress to address this concern and pass a law mandating that all candidates for president who are polling above some minimum level release such medical testing results to the public.
Ken Derow, Swarthmore, Pa.
