Biden reminds us: politics is about service

Even if this situation is grossly unfair, Biden’s choice to step aside is an astonishing act of patriotism. His party and the American people need to honor that humble devotion to our democracy.

The United States is a constitutional democratic republic. Each of those three words matters greatly. The Constitution provides a framework for managing the political space, and it subordinates powers to rights. ‘Democratic’ means a government of, by, and for the people. ‘Republic’ means the system belongs to the people: No individual owns or inherits legitimate public authority; all officials, including the President, are servants of the law and of the people.

President Joe Biden has persisted and kept his principles through one of the longest careers in American public service — well over 50 years. His brief one-term presidency has also been one of the most consequential in the nation’s history. In three and a half years, the Biden presidency has achieved more legislatively and in national reinvestment and rebuilding than anyone since Franklin Roosevelt.

Two weeks before he was inaugurated, his predecessor led a coup attempt, that included violence and intimidation, to prevent the peaceful transfer of power. His administration worked to reconstitute the instruments of self-government, rebuilding agencies that had been degraded by corrupt attempts to capture and dismantle them, rekindled critical alliances, and sought to restore public trust by investing in the American people’s access to fairness, opportunity, health, and safety.

Joe Biden has consistently defended the vulnerable, those in need, hardworking families and communities not favored by dominant industries and political trends. He said he was fighting for the soul of America, and he made his presidency about rebuilding opportunity for those less fortunate and rebuilding alliances to defend democracy and counter lawless regimes. Image credit: Gage Skidmore.

At 81 years of age, Joe Biden is the oldest person ever to serve as President. He brings to the office a long-studied understanding of the legislative branch, many years on the Senate Judiciary Committee, an extensive network of allies and rivals who all like and trust him, and a well-known commitment to doing right by those least able to defend themselves in the halls of power. This is how he was able to pass historic bipartisan legislation in the midst of grave and worsening partisan division.

There are well-founded concerns the country could turn toward authoritarianism. Trump has said he will be “a dictator on day one”; he has said he will ignore and might “terminate” the Constitution. The Supreme Court, stocked with three Trump nominees, has said Presidents can violate the law with near impunity; Trump has said he will use this power to persecute anyone who stands against him, including journalists. He has offered oil executives a quid-pro-quo deal to scrap the nation’s plans for a climate-resilient economy if they give $1 billion to get him elected.

Joe Biden looked at all of this, recognized that he does not own the office and no amount of achievement or skill entitles him to it, and decided that “it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.” It is fitting that his letter opens with the words “My Fellow Americans”—three words that reflect a heartfelt understanding of his position in our constitutional democratic republic.

Even if this situation is grossly unfair, President Biden’s decision to end his campaign is an astonishing act of patriotism. Imagine knowing you have a handle on the job and have performed beyond all expectations and better than most predecessors. To step down because the campaign environment has become so twisted and unfair, to put the republic ahead of your ambitions and what you know is the value you bring to the job, is an act of humble devotion most people would not be capable of.

In this time of disillusionment and division, when our public discourse is flooded by self-serving claims made by cynics pursuing power, Joe Biden has offered an example for the ages—putting the country, and the right of the people to choose a new generation of leaders, ahead of his claim on the nation’s most powerful office.

Vice President Harris has served ably and honorably in this historic administration, and she was on the ticket with Biden when he won the most votes in history in 2020 and millions more in this year’s primaries. She is, to this extent, already the choice of both primary voters and general election voters. Small donors seem to be using their money as speech to make this clear. President Biden endorsed her to be the Democratic nominee, calling her “an extraordinary partner in all this work”. He has said many times she is ready to serve as President.

Whatever you think of Biden, Harris, the Democratic Party, or the party that was once led by Abraham Lincoln, this election gives the American people a choice between democracy and authoritarianism. All of the American people—including those who still put their faith in Trump—need the Democratic ticket to win in 2024, if their rights and liberties are to be secure going forward.

This election will be hotly contested. Anti-democracy forces both inside and outside the United States will spread disinformation with powerful new tools and vast sums of money supporting their efforts. The American people have a chance to say STOP to those insidious corrupt networks who wish to sideline them and install a lawless autocrat. The race is now on, and we should expect historically high turnout and a national vote to preserve democracy.