Letter to the editor: Shapiro-Whitmer good bet for Democrats

It now appears fairly certain that Joe Biden is not going to be the Democratic nominee for president, that he will not be able to overcome a disastrous debate performance which was viewed by tens of millions and which will make for devastating ads to be run by his presumed opponent.

I believe the key to victory for the Democrats would be a ticket of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Pennsylvania’s Gov. Josh Shapiro. They are two dynamic, citizen-focused, innovative leaders with broad appeal who would be all but certain to deliver two key and large battleground states to the Democratic column. Whitmer would carry none of the baggage that the president does with Palestinian and Arab voters in Michigan due to his near-total support for Israel in its war with Hamas: a noble cause, but one which has devastated Gaza and its people.

Last year, Shapiro promised he would not run for president in 2024 under any circumstances, that he would serve the people of Pennsylvania as our leader for at least his four-year term. Certainly he would be hesitant to break that promise, but we are in a time of national emergency, in which a criminal and thug who promises to use a second term for retribution and to collapse our system of governance and our country threatens a return to the White House.

There is risk in whichever direction the Democrats turn at this late hour. I believe the greatest risk is to leave the Biden-Harris ticket intact.

Oren Spiegler

Peters