A Future President’s Mettle (And a Presidential Medal)

With Trump’s presidency coming to an end next week, the hopeful and relieved among us count the days—if not the minutes—until sanity is restored to the White House. As surreal as January 6th’s treasonous mob was, I hope the more level-headed Trump voters will—if not fully embrace Biden—come to see him for what he is. An empathetic, honorable, life-long public servant whom former President George W. Bush described as, “A good man who has won his opportunity to lead and unify our country" And to whom Bush has offered, “My prayers for his success, and my pledge to help in any way I can."

Anyone looking for proof of the President-elect’s character need only watch him at an informal press gathering on January 17, 2017. As he stood at Obama’s side—both displaying the brotherly comradery for which they are famous—the then-President downplayed the reason for the gathering, saying he just wanted to “Get some folks together to pay tribute to the best Vice President America’s ever had, Mr. Joe Biden.” Ten minutes of praise and innocent ribbing later, Obama states that, “For the final time as President, I am pleased to award our nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom—with distinction*—to my brother, Joseph Robinette Biden Jr.

Biden appears truly blind-sided (in the most touching of ways)—quickly turning his face from the camera to wipe away tears. Inconsequential in the scheme of things, the moment speaks to the kind of President Biden will be as powerfully as any other. And I imagine viewers numbed by our current President’s total lack of humanity will also shed a tear. As I did.

Humility. Deference. Gratitude. They’re what we should expect from our leaders. But after suffering a President devoid of even basic human kindness, seeing a President-elect embody them so fully is startling. And that says a lot about how far we’ve fallen.

I hope you share this post (and its video clip) wherever possible. The more one can relate to the simple humanity in it, the more one sees that Joe Biden is no different from us. And we’re not that different from each other.  

*An honor Obama’s predecessors reserved for only three others: Pope John Paul the 2nd, President Ronald Reagan, and General Colin Powell.