To the editor: Suppose that both President Biden and former President Trump deliver a coherent, policy-oriented speech in their debate. Should they then be judged solely on the performance of that single night? (“Presidential debates generally don’t matter. This Biden-Trump showdown could be different,” Opinion, June 25)
The context is what matters in evaluating a person, not a single, staged event like the June 27 debate. Biden and Trump must be viewed within the broader context of their past behavior.
Seen this way, we voters should do our best to remember and then calmly evaluate both candidates’ records on the following:
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Which of them is a man of good character or not?
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Which of them is a man of deep empathy for his fellow man or not?
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Which of them demonstrated well-defined, fact-based, and well-reasoned visions for the betterment of our country, or not?
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Which one worked well with the other branches or government?
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Which one most effectively communicated to us, the public, the what and whys of their decisions and actions?
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Which of them demonstrated firm and strong support for the Constitution and the rule of law?
Most importantly, which candidate would you like your children to emulate?
Victor Wagan Monsura, Garden Grove
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To the editor: After reading articles about the upcoming presidential debate, I believe Trump and Biden will put on a horrible show.
The solution was to have independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in the debate. CNN’s refusal to allow him on stage is a slap in the face to all of us who would like to hear from someone other than Biden and Trump.
This is still America, the land of the free – or at least I thought it was.
Virginia Noyes, Glendale
This story originally appeared on Los Angeles Times.
