Good morning, Mariel Garza here. Today is Wednesday, June 26th. Let’s take a look at what’s happening in Opinion so far this week.
For politicians, this week is all about debate, debate, debate, as the first presidential debate of the 2024 election takes place on Thursday on CNN between President Biden and former President Trump. Even with stricter rules to encourage more civil exchanges, there’s still the possibility of it being embarrassing.
That’s because these two are the oldest major-party presidential candidates in U.S. history, and their performance in the debate will be judged on exactly how they do.
The Trump campaign and its MAGA supporters are probably praying that the impulsive 78-year-old candidate doesn’t get too outrageous. A little eccentricity might not bother his fans, but how will the public feel about a response full of slurred language, confused names and incoherent stories about winds killing sharks or whales or similar nonsense?
Meanwhile, Biden’s campaign and supporters will be hoping the 81-year-old candidate doesn’t stumble, stutter or appear weak. Videos have circulated that purportedly show Biden freezing at a fundraiser in Los Angeles last week and at a gala dinner on June 19. Biden supporters have called the videos “cheap fake” and poorly edited.
Still, there’s no doubt that viewers will tune in primarily to gauge the relative cognitive abilities and physical presence of Trump and Biden.
“But the one thing nearly everyone is concerned with is how they look, how they sound and how they perform. Both Biden and Trump are the oldest people to hold the presidency, and there are legitimate criticisms that both are too old to run for office again,” Jackie Calmes wrote in a recent column.
And what viewers see may determine the outcome of the race, notes Jonah Goldberg: “If Biden hits a major snag, voters’ concerns about his age will be irrevocably confirmed. I expect the whispers about potential replacements to turn into cries almost overnight. But if Biden clears that very low bar, the stakes are suddenly higher for Trump. Most voters don’t like the former president, and never have.”
Meanwhile, Doyle McManus suspects some viewers are watching the debate as a demolition derby to see whether one or both will fail.
Either way, enjoy the debate! And be sure to tune in to latimes.com on the day of the debate for instant commentary, features and news from our top political reporters and columnists.
A housing shortage is pushing more and more seniors onto the streets. This is something we all have a responsibility to do. The percentage of homeless people over 65 in the United States and in Los Angeles is expected to triple between 2017 and 2030. A new study gives some reasons why this is happening. But The Times editorial board says the solution is simple: provide more affordable housing.
It is everyone’s responsibility to overcome America’s past. LZ Granderson writes that recognizing Juneteenth is a small but important part of that overcoming: “Former President Donald Trump and current President Doug Emhoff couldn’t be further apart politically, yet neither of them knew about Juneteenth until recently.”
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The Supreme Court should not approve Louisiana’s provocative Ten Commandments law. The new law has reignited a culture war over the role of religion in public schools that should have been resolved long ago, the editorial board wrote. “Supporters of the law, and those who might replicate it in other states, may hope that a U.S. Supreme Court that has recently blurred the line on church and state separation would approve the law and repudiate its own precedent. The Court must abandon this illusion.”
As conservatives target same-sex marriage, its power is becoming increasingly clear. Clark University psychology professor Abby E. Goldberg, working with a team from the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law, surveyed nearly 500 married LGBTQ+ people about their relationships. “The big takeaway from this study is that same-sex couples have a lot at stake when it comes to their freedom to marry, and they’re willing to go to great lengths to ensure that future political changes don’t interfere with their lives,” Goldberg writes.
More of this week’s thoughts
From the columnist
From the Opinion Desk
From the Editorial Board
Letter to the editor