President Joe Biden was still recovering from COVID when he addressed the country from the Oval Office on Wednesday night.
He was still hurting from wounds to both his pride and his undimmed desire to serve, too, even after announcing on Sunday that he wouldn’t seek a second term after all.
So yes, he seemed just about exactly as sad as anyone in that situation would be.
Doing the right thing is rarely easy, and all that stepping aside in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris has cost the president showed on his face and in his voice.
But that only made it all the more moving when he asked us to put America ahead of our own bumps, bruises and hurt feelings, just as he has.
“I revere this office,” Biden said, yet “I love my country more. It’s been the honor of my life to serve as your president. But … democracy, which is at stake, is more important than any title. I draw strength and I find joy in working for the American people. But this sacred task of perfecting our union, it’s not about me. It’s about you, your families, your futures. It’s about we the people. ”
Could there be any greater contrast between one president who never stops expressing his resentment, despite having become a millionaire at age 8, and another who has suffered so many devastating personal losses yet really does feel blessed?
“Does character in public life still matter?” Biden asked. “I believe I know the answer … because I know you, the American people. And I know this: We are a great nation because we are a good people.”
The very first thing Biden said Wednesday evening was this: “Presidents are not kings.”
That this needs to be said at all is alarming. It also makes the grace with which Biden has stopped campaigning for a second term all the more impressive. Because yes, he did have to step aside. But no, he didn’t have to do it without rancor.
The way he’s chosen to yield, for the good of the country, is the exact opposite of Trump’s illegal attempts to hold onto power after he lost the election to Biden in 2020. But then, Trump also claimed to have been cheated in 2016, when he won.
What happens now is completely up to us.
“Whether we keep our republic is now in your hands,” Biden said. “I’ve given my heart and my soul to our nation, like so many others, and I’m blessed a million times in return by the love and support of the American people. I hope you have some idea how grateful I am, to all of you.
“The great thing about America is here, kings and dictators do not rule. The people do. History is in your hands. … We just have to keep faith — keep the faith — and remember … We’re the United States of America, and there’s simply nothing beyond our capacity.”
That he can still keep the faith is a miracle. And if he can, then surely so can we.
