+ The New York Times: Biden insists that he plans to run again in 2024. He and top aides are stung by some Democrats’ skepticism that he should.

• Editor’s note: I concur with this letter below.

Unenrolled voter wants to see field of Democratic choices in ’24

From The Boston Globe:

Re “Even Democrats now agree: Biden is too old for his job” by Jeff Jacoby (Opinion, June 22): President Biden’s age matters to this unenrolled voter. I’m 70, and I have certainly lost a step or two — that’s life. It seems obvious that Biden has lost a few more. But the party insists on honoring its more senior members and worrying about whose turn it is when it comes to fielding major candidates.

Since I may never be able to vote for a Republican again, given their actions over the last two years, I have formed strong impressions of the potential of the Democrat Party. They will not win in 2024 with Biden seeking reelection, and this country is not ready for a third-party candidate. Kamala Harris is not going to carry the 2024 ticket either — she’s not quite ready yet for prime time. I think an Amy Klobuchar-Pete Buttigieg slate would be perfect.

It could be hard to pry incumbent from perch

President Harry Truman noted that a sitting president controlled levers of power and persuasion sufficient to name himself as the nominee for reelection if he desired. Times have changed, of course, and cancel culture reigns, so the Truman wisdom may be as fungible as Joe Biden’s malapropisms. Nevertheless, big blue Democratic bosses will have to exercise Machiavellian realpolitik to pry the president’s fingers from the party favors.

Paul Bloustein

Cincinnati