Letters

In the presidential “debate” of Thursday, June 27, I saw Joe Biden totally rattled by the constant lies, exaggerations, threats and fear-mongering of Donald Trump. I saw Joe Biden with bad makeup and who evidently didn’t realize that even when he was not speaking the American public would be watching a split screen of him and Trump.

I saw Joe Biden, a lifelong stutterer, talk too fast to try to get as much information into every answer as possible. Stutterers need to talk in a melodious way — they don’t stutter when they sing.

Joe’s performance was abysmal — he has said so himself. He also said he is a person who will pick himself back up when he falters and falls. Joe is probably capable of doing just that.

However, the American people have been so battered in the past nine years by Trump, COVID and a near-recession that we are pretty hysterical right now. And when Trump tells us this is the worst country in the world, and we’re going down the drain, some people actually believe him.

I don’t think the American public can pick themselves back up after falling on their face on that Thursday night. Nor do I think they should. We only have two political parties, and we need at least one presidential candidate to be someone we believe in and with whom we feel safe.

Joe Biden has been that person up until now. He no longer is.

It’s time for him to step aside and anoint the next Democratic presidential candidate who will inspire the confidence, trust and safety that Donald Trump threatens. Joe owes that to the American people, because the horror of what a next Trump presidency would look like is too much to bear.

Paula J. Angelone, Ph.D.

Southampton Village