Mr. President

An address to the nation

It’s so hard to say goodbye.

Song lyrics from childhood echoed in my mind as I sat down to watch President Biden address the nation. A swell of emotions I couldn’t disentangle competed for my attention.

This was not a farewell address. Biden remains our president and will for several months. But the end of a rich and consequential life of public service looms on an ever-approaching horizon, regardless of what happens in November. 

We knew the message of what was to come but not the words. How does a man who must believe he can still ably lead this nation grapple with passing the torch and eventually saying goodbye?

As Biden spoke, he had the bearing of an elder statesman. His presence has always been a Rorschach test of whether one saw wisdom and experience or uneasiness and frailty. Aging is a mixture of all of these factors. 

Considering the historic nature of this moment, it made sense that Biden began by nodding to previous presidents. Many had to face difficult decisions and crises of consequence, but none were in a position quite like his. 

In recent weeks, while Biden pondered his options, we often heard of George Washington and his famous “Farewell Address” (put to melody in the musical Hamilton). President Washington also decided to step aside and not seek reelection. But there was no Donald Trump lying in wait. The early republic was precarious. But so is our nation today in ways the Founders, who threw off monarchical tyranny, would find repugnant. 

The forces propelling Biden’s decision were less the gales of the past than the headwinds of the future. We are at a juncture where the very sustainability of the United States as a vibrant democratic republic will be contested at the ballot box. One could imagine that if the stakes weren’t so existential, Biden might have continued to run, or perhaps he would have decided to forgo reelection in the first place. 

Counterfactuals such as these are interesting academically but meaningless when measured against our current dangers. 

When Biden spoke of his need to unite his party, there was an ominous subtext: Only one of the two major political parties today continues to espouse adherence to the rule of law, fundamental freedoms, and democracy itself. Unity is essential. 

In the end, Biden said he came to the conclusion that nothing can stand in the way of protecting our democracy, not even personal ambition. That is the consensus of the Democratic Party and the reason why party members, from elected officials to average voters, have been so quick to coalesce around Kamala Harris’s candidacy. 

In the heart of his speech, Biden listed domestic and international concerns. He was cautioning the electorate of the dangers of returning the helm of our nation to the reckless and unsteady hands of would-be despots. 

I was pleased to hear the president take credit for all he has been able to accomplish. He was always a politician more focused on results than on oratorical flourishes. A workhorse and not a show horse. It will be inspiring to have a President Harris continue that momentum into new directions. 

This speech will be remembered less for stirring words and fancy turns of phrase and more for the incredible context that surrounded it and the fundamental dignity and goodness of the man who delivered it. 

“So let’s act together and preserve our democracy,” was President Biden’s closing exhortation. 

The very premise of the United States has always been that it is bigger than any one person. The journey toward a more perfect union can only continue if we, the people, walk together and pass the baton to those who will follow.