I voted for Joe Biden proudly in 2020. I believed he was the right candidate to take down the bad guy, and with our support, he not only won, but received the greatest number of votes of any candidate in American history.
One of the reasons I liked President Biden was because of his humility – which is rare in politics in general, and generally absent among presidents. Despite his intention to run in 2016, he chose to sit it out after the devastating loss of his son Beau, declaring himself to not be in a mental state where he felt he could successfully run for president.
I want to honor President Biden for showing that same humility today. Especially when juxtaposed with Trump’s malignant narcissism, thirst for power, and love of cruelty and degradation, it is truly a breath of fresh air to see our Commander In Chief put all of us, and the fate of our flawed but beautiful country, before himself.
And yet it is also sad. Although there are several areas where I have voiced scathing criticism of Biden’s policies, I have never once doubted that he was a good and honest man trying his best, and all in all I think he’s been an effective President. I believe he will go down in history as the man who saved us from our country’s worst instincts, and then in a move of Washingtonian statesmanship and patriotism, stepped aside once he had internalized that staying presented the greatest threat of bringing back the very monster that he himself had defeated. And every available piece of evidence indicates that this is exactly what would have happened.
I don’t have any specific hope for who will be chosen to replace him, except that it be whomever seems most likely to win. And when that person is selected – whomever it is, and even if some of us (including me) don’t believe that the selected candidate meets that criteria – we need to all rally behind that person. No more circular firing squads, no more complaining about “the lesser of two evils,” which is an argument that admits the fact that to deny support is to enable the greater of two evils. And no matter who is chosen to run as the Democratic nominee, I promise you, Trump and Trumpism are far worse.
But for now, I hope that we may all counter Trump’s disgusting narrative that Biden is leaving “in complete disgrace.” Nothing could be further from the truth. Recognizing our own limitations and allowing ourselves to be guided by something other than pride is an incredible virtue – a concept that Trump, who is utterly devoid of virtue, goodness, or humility of any kind, could never possibly conceive of.
Let us all hope that whomever is chosen as the Democratic nominee will also have virtues that outweigh their flaws – but let us also remember that such flaws are inevitable, and that there is no potential candidate in existence without them. Our job is to see the forest through the trees, and to remember that the alternative means burning down the forest completely.
And as for Joe Biden: I wish you peace, rest, healing, and a legacy befitting a great public servant. From the bottom of my heart: thank you for your service, and for reminding us that serving at all, not being served, should be the aspiration of any politician. It’s a beautiful idea, and thanks to Joe Biden, today it remains very much alive.
