Readers React: What matters most about Joe Biden is that he can defeat President Trump

To the editor: By what criteria did the Los Angeles Times decide that former Vice President Joe Biden’s hopes for 2020 are seriously diminished? (“Joe Biden’s handling of Anita Hill’s harassment allegations clouds his presidential prospects,” April 15)

Though he is still undeclared, in all but a small handful of polls published thus far, Biden leads other Democrats for his party’s nomination for president. Of even greater significance is that Biden is more likely to defeat President Trump than any of his Democratic rivals.

Yes, the former vice president was sorely mistaken for not vigorously defending Anita Hill or by later failing to apologize to Hill for his role in helping to elevate Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court.

However, let’s not ignore the seminal role Biden played in passage of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 and his support of same-sex marriage even before President Obama climbed on board.

Democrats need a winner like Biden in 2020, lest they nominate an uncompromising ideologue and cede the election to Trump and the Supreme Court to philosophical clones of Justice Thomas for the foreseeable future.

Harold N. Bass, Porter Ranch

..

To the editor: Seeing an article about Biden’s treatment of Hill in 1991 on the front page of the L.A. Times gave me hope.

It isn’t because I want to see Biden driven out of the race for president, but rather because I feared his fate would be decided solely based on stories of him touching women.

Biden’s behavior, while it may have been less than appropriate, was also far less than predatory. The constant drumbeat about it had the effect of obscuring Biden’s senatorial achievements, or lack thereof.

Please let us have more articles about all of the candidates that focus on issues rather than gossip.

Joan Walston, Santa Monica

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook